Ranma: Legends
by Aaron The 2nd Trickster Priest
Summary: What if Ranma was more than he seemed? A different take on the Ranma storyline. New editor. The tournament begins, and the heros are holding aces and eights as the enemy finally arrives....
1. Legend 1: The Wild Horse Arrives

Ranma: Legends  
  
Prologue: And so it begins...  
  
~*~A cheap dive in San Francisco....~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
In the back of the bar is a man dressed like a ronin or should I say rurouni. He drinks a cup of sake and sits in quiet repose. Suddenly his right hand starts moving spastically. He grabs it and it calms down. He quietly gets up and pays his bar tab. The bartender raises an eyebrow as this man had previously consumed 4 bottles of high proof sake and just walked out without the slightest hint of drunkenness. The man walks a few blocks and goes into a nearby building. A moment later, he has ascended to the rooftop. He puts his right hand out in front of him and reaches into the hand which ripples and parts like an object going into a pool. He pulls out an orb that seems to pulse with a light almost like a heartbeat. He raises it and says " O soul of Chaos that transcends time and space, I call upon you now to reveal your master".   
  
The orb begins displaying a array of colors and then...... Suddenly displays the words " insert coin here".   
  
The man sweatdrops. "(*sotto voce* Once more from the top), O soul of Chaos that transcends time and space, I call upon you once again to reveal your master ".  
  
The orb pulses faster again and reads " no sale ".   
  
The man now has a large twitch above his eye. " Ok you piece of junk, tell me where he is or I stuff you into a pile driver.   
  
The orb sweatdrops now and quickly spells out " Ok Ok, China, Quihai province, Cursed springs of Jusenkyo. "   
  
"Better. And his name?"   
  
In an ominous tone it reads "Ranma Saotome."   
  
"His destination?"   
  
"Japan, Tokyo, Nerima district."   
  
The man thinks for a moment and then pulls out a cell phone from somewhere in his hakama. He dials a number. "Hello, Taishin?"   
  
*Mumbling on the other end*   
  
"Yes. It's me. Get me a red-eye flight to Japan immediately. The sooner the better."   
  
*more mumbling*   
  
"4:25 am? Perfect, see you in 3-4 hours." He hangs the phone up and puts it away. He then starts walking to SFO. He lifts his straw hat and looks skyward, and as he does so the moonlight reflects off a silver half mask of a fox on the left side of his face. He starts thinking ("It's been a long time and finally our labors are baring fruit. It took 17 years since you came back to this world. This should be fun. Even if he keeps me waiting for a while, it should be well worth it.")   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1:   
  
  
  
~*~Meanwhile at a familiar rainy street, 4 months later....~*~  
  
  
  
A red-headed girl is walking down a street whilst the rain cascades onto her head. Behind her a shadow of a large beast rises up. The girl sighs and does a bicycle kick knocking her attacker down. "Listen old man, I'm getting bored dealing with your lame surprise attacks. Come up with something original or stop already."  
  
The attacker, now revealed to be a large panda produces a sign saying: " Respect your elders, boy!"   
  
The girl smirks and says, "Wrong gender and you're not my elder with regards to the art. Besides, where is your friends house anyway? You said it was down this way."   
  
The panda sweatdrops and slowly pulls another sign out: "Well, you see, it's uh like this, uh..."   
  
The girl looks back at him and we see that she is quite good-looking but surprisingly athletic as well. "Please tell me you didn't lose the directions." A nervous sweatdrop from the panda. "You do have directions right?" A minor twitch develops on her eye. The panda develops even more sweatdrops. The girl walks over leaps into the air delivering a flying kick to the panda, knocking him into a pole. " Baka oyaji! You mean you have no directions, and you don't know where it is?!" She takes a deep breath and calmly walks over to a person looking flabbergasted at the scene. " Excuse me sir," she says whilst putting a very cute face on, "Could you please give me directions to the Tendo dojo?"   
  
The man calms down slightly and says with a nervous smile, "Yeah, just go down that way take a left and it's the 4th house on the right. Can't miss it. Uh miss?"  
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Does your pet do that often?" She looks back and sees the panda broke the metal pole on impact and is currently feigning unconsciousness.   
  
"Oh yeah every once in a while it tries to attack me, but I never hurt it much. Right now it's just pretending to be hurt, right Panda-san?"   
  
The panda gets up and pulls a sign out " Yes, indeed little girl, I am fine."   
  
The man walks away confused and mumbling "A trained panda in Nerima? Now I've seen everything."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Tendo training hall~*~  
  
  
  
A black haired man is reading a letter postmarked Hong Kong, China. The letter reads as follows: "To my Good friend Soun Tendo. The training trip took a little longer at the end then expected, but we will arrive by the time this letter reaches you. Inform your daughters. At last the schools shall be joined! Signed, Genma Saotome."   
  
The man known as Soun Tendo is smiling and thinking, "Soon, someone wed one of my baby girls and secure their future." He gets up and walks to the kitchen. A older girl, indeed a young woman with long hair tied in a ponytail is preparing vegetables. "Ahem." She turns around with a smile on her face.   
  
"Yes father what is it?"   
  
Soun smiles and says, "Kasumi, could you please call your sisters into the dining room, I have an announcement to make."  
  
She walks over to the stairs, goes up halfway and calls out, "Nabiki, Akane, Father wants us to come to the dining room right away." A girl with short just above shoulder length hair comes down. "Oh where is Akane?"   
  
Nabiki shrugs and says "Probably practicing in the dojo again."   
  
Kasumi smiles and goes over to the dojo and opens the shoji (A/N: the sliding door used in traditional japanese homes) and sees a young girl with long blackish blue hair in a stance with a stack of bricks in front of her. The girl cries out "Hiya!" and smashes the bricks into smithereens.   
  
"Akane." The girl turns around and sees Kasumi clapping.   
  
Akane smiles and asks, "Thank you Kasumi, what is it?"   
  
Kasumi (still smiling) says, "Father has asked us to come to the dining room for an announcement."   
  
Akane straightens out her Gi and says, "Alright, just one more pile of bricks, then I'll come."   
  
Kasumi says, "Alright."   
  
Five minutes later, The Tendo family is gathered. Soun pulls himself to the most height he can muster whilst sitting and says, "My daughters, I have good news. An old friend of mine is coming here from China. He is bringing his son with him. In order to fulfill an old pact between friends, and to unite the two branches of the Anything goes School of Martial Arts, one of you will be engaged to and marry him. I'm told his name is Ranma."   
  
The reactions proceed as follows "Oh my", "hmm" and "what!?". Mentally it's "I hope he's older, I don't like younger men", "I'm not taking him unless he's rich" and "No way I'm getting engaged to a smelly old boy". No need for an explanation of who's who.   
  
Akane stands up and says, "Father, have you even met this boy?"   
  
Soun with a plain expression says, "No, I never have." A facefault triggers on all except Kasumi, who only develops a minor strain on her smile.   
  
Just then the doorbell rings. Kasumi gets up and opens it to reveal the Redhead, who in better lighting is actually a red head with a lot of coral streaks in her hair, and the panda from earlier. The girl says, "Can we please come in, the rain is cold and I promise a good explanation for the panda." Kasumi nods and admits them. The girl turns and asks, "Oh, and could I please have two cups of hot water. I'll explain later." Again Kasumi nods. The girl walks into the living room and notices the people in it. Before she can say anything however, she is immediately enveloped in a bone-crushing hug by Soun.   
  
He says, "You've finally arrived, now we can..." He trails off as he detects two things that a boy should not have and comes to the conclusion reached by everyone else in the room. This is a girl. He immediately faints.   
  
The redhead sighs and turns to the panda, "Let's show up in our curse forms, it won't be a problem. My friend won't mind. I knew I shouldn't have wasted that Umbrella on you," she says in a sarcastic and slightly annoyed tone. She turns to the rest of them. "Can you please wake him up? I am Ranma Saotome, and there is a reason for my condition at the moment. I would prefer to tell everyone at the same time." Kasumi comes in with a teapot and two cups of hot water. "Ah, thank you Kasumi, this will help a lot." So saying she upends the cup on her own head resulting in a change to a guy with black hair also in a pigtail. "As I said, I am Ranma Saotome, and this panda here..." At this he tosses the other cup at the panda who changes into a balding slightly overweight man with glasses in a dirty gi. "Is my dad, Genma Saotome, who will apologize for the current situation that I consider to be his fault."   
  
Genma snorts and says, "Boy, as your father, it is my duty to teach you the art and raise you to be a 'man among men.' (A/N: That is a very vague definition. What exactly is that? I have never figured it out). As such I considered it to in your best interests to train at Jusenkyo."   
  
Ranma grins and says: "Really? Then you won't mind me telling them exactly what happened there, will you?"   
  
Genma sweatdrops a little and says: "No...., Go ahead."   
  
Ranma, "Thank you. Well it started when we arrived at the cursed spring training ground...."  
  
  
  
  
  
(Flashback, 5 months ago)  
  
  
  
A familiar teenager with black hair is carrying a obscenely heavy pack while a fat and balding man in a dirty gi tries to read a map. Genma: "Damn it! It should be here, but this writing is weird."   
  
Ranma: "Pop, let me see it." He takes one look at it and glares lightly at his dad. Ranma: "You are aware this map is in chinese, not japanese, right?" Genma sweatdrops a little.   
  
A fat chinese man with a cap with a red star appears and looks at them. He looks carefully and says in broken japanese: "Ah, honored customer. Are you looking for Jusenkyo springs?"   
  
Genma does a double-take and says, "Yes, are they nearby?!"   
  
The fat man nods and says, "Yes, honored customer, cursed springs right past next hill." Genma breaks into a run. Ranma grabs the pack and puts in back on his shoulders.   
  
Ranma: "Lead the way mister...?"   
  
The fat man bows and says, "Jusenkyo guide is title. Please use"   
  
A few moments later.... "We're here at last!" shouts Genma. "Now we can finish your training trip!"   
  
Ranma smiles at the remark. "Good, I could use a break from your slave driving methods."   
  
Genma leaps on top of a pole and shouts, "Come on boy, are you too much of a girl to fight with me?"   
  
Ranma leaps onto an opposing pole and takes a crane stance (the karate kid stance with one leg in the air). "Ready when you are, old fart." Genma does a flying leap at Ranma. Ranma does a bicycle kick counter and grabs a pole getting back on the top area.   
  
The Jusenkyo guide meanwhile, sees them fighting and yells, "No, honored customer! Don't fight! Spring cursed! Bad if fall in!"   
  
Ranma hears part of this and yellsm "Time out pop! The guide said something about the springs!"   
  
Genma continues his attack and says, "Don't try to fool me! You're not stopping till you knock me down!"   
  
Ranma gets angry, and leaps into a spin kick knocking Genma into a pool. "Enough damn it! Unlike you I don't cheat when I fight for real!" He suddenly realizes Genma has not come up for air, and gets worried. "Pop? Are you ok?" An animal roar is heard. "Huh? What's that?" A giant panda leaps onto the poles and starts attacking Ranma.   
  
Jusenkyo Guide: "Oh no! Honored customer fall into (insert chinese name here), the spring of drowned giant panda! 2000 years ago, giant panda drown in pool here. Pool become cursed. Now whoever fall into spring take body of panda!"  
  
Ranma continues fending off Genma's assaults and yells to the guide, "Is there any way to remove the curse? Ow, kuso!" While he was talking to the guide, Genma pressed his assault and swiped with one of his now clawed hands or paw as the case may be. Ranma, distracted by the attack did not notice that he had no pole to fall back on. Ranma: "Oh, shit." He then proceeds to fall into a spring.   
  
Ranma is currently having his life flash before his eyes and one thing pops into his head. "I really hope I don't turn into something as bad as a panda." *Splash* The guide runs up and checks a sign. Genma meanwhile is gloating about his victory and suddenly he realizes that the morning cold is no longer affecting him. He looks at his hand and instead spots a five clawed paw. He runs over to the guide and starts gesturing wildly and attempting to speak. He stops after a bit realizing that pandas can't talk.   
  
The guide says, "Honored younger customer should have been up by now. Something is wrong with pool." A cry of dismay is heard and a dark ki blast that seems to cause the environment to ripple and flow is directed at Genma. Genma is knocked flat on his ass and is shot into a nearby bamboo tree knocking it over and causing it to hit someone else and cause them to trip into a spring. (A/N: The person will not be revealed because I'm an evil author and also because that would be a spoiler. Back to Genma.)   
  
The panda in question is wondering what the hell hit him, when a figure dressed in his son's garb starts walking slowly toward him. The figure upon closer inspection is a red headed girl with a strange aura visible. The girl is within four feet of Genma when she stops and asks, "So, pop, what exactly does Jusenkyo mean anyway? I'm just wondering why exactly you brought us here, because obviously you had no idea of what this place was!" The girl launches a combo that rather than the usual grace of anything goes, is considerably more brutal. After about one minute of laying into him, Ranma pauses and signals the guide to come over. "Now, I'm not going to hurt you, you warned us about this, but we didn't listen, well mostly him, but that's beside the point. Is there a cure?"   
  
The guide smiles and says, "Thank you for attempt at listen. No cure, but curse not permanent. Curse activate with cold water and change back with hot water."  
  
Ranma then picks up the panda and slings him over her shoulder, "Could we please stay the night? I think I hurt him this time and I need to figure what to do next." The guide says: "Follow me."   
  
  
  
  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Tendo training hall (again)~*~  
  
  
  
"..... And that's how we ended up appearing that way."   
  
Genma snorts and says, "The true martial artist's path is fraught with peril. He must be willing to give..."   
  
Ranma interrupts, "Even his life for the art. I've heard this way too many times pop, and this time I'm going to stop you before you get started. I certainly had no intention of becoming a girl, but I gotta say it has been very enlighting." Genma's jaw drops at this. "I've only just started rethinking most of your ideas of how girls are weak and need to be protected... Hang on a sec, these aren't my ideas and if you want to hit me, be polite and wait till I'm done." Akane was gripping the table and relaxes her grip and sits back down with a frown on her face. "Thank you, as I was saying, most of your ideas are bull. Girls are just as strong as guys and stronger in some areas. For instance my girl form is somewhat faster and has better balance than my guy side. That compensates for the lack of power and ki ability."   
  
Genma starts yelling, "Nonsense boy! Girls are weak little things that know nothing of the martial arts! I can't believe a son of mine would fall so..." *bam!!!* Genma is sent flying to the koi pond and emerges as the panda.   
  
"Thanks for waiting till I was done. I never said you couldn't interrupt him," says Ranma with a smirk. "Next time though, use the mallet and don't waste furniture."  
  
Akane is looking in shock and thinking, ("how did see my mallet?").   
  
Ranma then stands and gestures to Akane, "I can see you alone out all of your sisters has martial arts ability. Want to spar?"   
  
Akane shoots up and says: "Sure, I'm the best in Nerima!"   
  
Ranma smirks again and thinks, ("Then you better be holding a lot back, cause I think pop could take you easily").   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Tendo Training hall, dojo~*~  
  
  
  
"Now then before we start, I'm going to ask three questions, ok?" Akane nods. "First off, since we skipped the introduction let's say hi. I'm Ranma Saotome of the anything goes school of martial arts, saotome branch."   
  
"Akane Tendo of the anything goes school of martial arts, Tendo branch."  
  
Ranma nods. "Ok then, first question, which form do you want to fight, this one or my girl side?"   
  
Akane thinks for a moment and replies, "Girl side."   
  
Ranma splashes himself with some water and becomes a she. "Second question, how good are you?"   
  
Akane strikes a pose and shouts, "I'm the best in Nerima!!!"   
  
Ranma smirks and asks, "And the last question... Do want me to go all out?"  
  
Akane looks incredulously at him and asks, "What?"   
  
Ranma smirks again and asks, "I said, do you want me to go all out?"   
  
Akane: "Of course!"   
  
Ranma: "If you're a worthy opponent, I'll use my full power."   
  
Nabiki steps in and announces, "I'm Nabiki Tendo and I'll be acting as Referee with our father Soun Tendo helping on technical points. Ready?" (Akane is in a stance, Ranma is looking non-chalent).   
  
Ranma: "One sec..." He walks over his pack and pulls out a cd. "Could you please put track six on?" Nabiki nods and gets a cd player out and puts the cd in. A moment later, Rhythm Emotion from Gundam Wing is playing. "Thanks."   
  
Nabiki nods and says, "Go!"   
  
Ranma braces one hand behind the other, "I'll give you a free shot at my hand, I want to gauge your power." Akane rushes him. She strikes and much to the surprise of the Tendo family, Ranma doesn't even move. "Not bad, a little too much force, not enough control and finesse. You're potentially quite powerful." Akane beams. "My turn, and I would brace for this." Ranma strikes a stance and Akane braces her hands. Ranma gets close and pulls his fist back. He strikes. Akane is knocked into the wall. She gets up a little groggily. "I warned you to brace properly. Next time put one foot behind the other."   
  
Akane: "Shut up! I'm gonna knock you down!" She charges Ranma who sidesteps and taps her on her back. Akane turns and launches a combo. Ranma begins dodging and taping her on various points.   
  
"I'm tapping you to point out weaknesses in your defense."   
  
"Shut up and fight!"   
  
Ranma shrugs his shoulders whilst in a flip, "Ok, your funeral." He then launches an ax kick at her. She blocks. Ranma use his backwards momentum to flip and charges her. Akane, surprised by his tactic cannot defend. Ranma punches, stopping inches from her nose. Akane blinks, bats his hand away, and starts attacking again. Ranma is starting to look annoyed. He kicks at her midsection, again stopping inches from a hit. Akane tries to strike his crotch. Ranma hops out of the way. He raises an eyebrow: "Hitting below the belt? That's not a honorable tactic."   
  
Akane: "It's called anything goes for a reason!" Ranma attacks, fakes a punch and does a slide kick. Akane slips and Ranma catches her.   
  
At this point the song stops. "Stop. The fight is over. I'm obviously the winner by superior skill. Good fight, I have one question. Who taught you how to fight?" He puts her down and starts walking to the exit.   
  
Akane was in shock while being held. However she is thinking one thing: ("That pervert touched me!"). She yells and charges Ranma launching a flying kick. Just before she connects, a dark aura springs up around Ranma. With a cold look in his eye, he grabs her leg, taps a point with two fingers and then launches his own spin kick whilst she is still in the air. Akane slams very hard into the wall making a person shaped imprint a la looney toons. She then falls to the ground.   
  
Ranma turns to the others with the same cold look: "I absolutely hate sore losers. Disgraceful tactics like that have no place in anything goes. She should learn when she is outclassed. She'll be ok, the blow to the wall was done with just enough power to knock her out. I'm sure she can survive the impact from the wall with minor injuries. I tapped a pressure point on her left leg, she won't be kicking for a few hours. After that it will just be numb for a bit. Nothing permanent. Where is the bath?"  
  
Kasumi smiles and says, "Second floor, first door on the right. You're sure she'll be ok?"   
  
Ranma relaxes and smiles. "I'm sure she'll be fine in about fifteen to twenty minutes. She won't be using the leg and she will have a headache, miss....?"  
  
"Tendo, Kasumi Tendo."   
  
Soun comes out of his shock and produces his infamous demon head attack, which for the uniniated is where his head takes on a demonic appearance and grows to fill most of the screen in the series. Pretty damn scary looking. "Yahhhhhh, what have you done to my baby, Ranma?!?!!?!?!"   
  
Ranma's aura flares up again and the cold look returns to his eyes. "Perhaps you can tell me who trained, or should I say mistrained her?"   
  
Soun's demon head attack is disrupted as he answers, "I did."   
  
Ranma grabs him by the hems of his gi and picks him up. "Now listen to me, you sorry excuse for a martial artist. You have not only messed her training up, you've mistrained her to the point where she believes it's ok to attack an opponent who is many times her superior. Against someone else, that might have proven a fatal lesson. She might have been killed or worse."   
  
Soun is in shock at Ranma's words, but tears, real ones, not the crocodile tears that he normally cries, are being shed. "You are right, I didn't train her properly. I was too deep in sorrow over my wife's death. I have let Kimiko down. I have disgraced the honor of the anything goes school. I'm deeply in your debt, Ranma."  
  
Ranma's expression softens and he offers his hand to him. "It's not a permanent mistake, you can redeem yourself. However, you seem out of shape. How long has it been since you truly practiced anything goes?"   
  
Soun sighs. " Not since the death of my wife sixteen years ago. However.... ." He stands up with a fire of determination in his eye. "I will redeem myself in Kimiko's eyes. I will teach Akane the true spirit of the anything goes school."   
  
Ranma smirks. " In the meantime, do you mind if I train her while you get back into shape?" Soun nods. " Good, now if you'll excuse me, I need a bath." Ranma walks upstairs.   
  
A short time later, Akane wakes up on the couch. "Ugh, my head hurts. What happened?"   
  
Kasumi removes a damp cloth from Akane's head. "You fought Ranma and lost. You tried to attack him after the match, but he stopped your attack and hit you to the wall. He said that you weren't hurt much by the blow."   
  
Akane springs up and strikes a pose: "No way, I'm going to smash that boy with *kathump!* ow. What happened?"   
  
Kasumi: "He also said that he hit a pressure point on your leg. It's supposed to wear off in a few hours. He said it wasn't very nice to be a sore loser after a match."   
  
Akane: "I didn't lose!!! He cheated!!!" Soun walks in along with Nabiki. The panda is sitting on the floor by Kasumi.   
  
Soun: "No, my daughter, I'm afraid you did lose. It was a fair match. He beat you because your defense was open and his skill level was much higher."   
  
Nabiki *nodding*: "Sorry sis, But Daddy is right. The kid was way better than you."   
  
Akane tries to stand and succeeds but winces a little. "Can someone help me to the bath?" Nabiki nods with a slight smile.   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Tendo Training hall, Bathroom~*~  
  
  
  
Inside the steam, Ranma is relaxing. (" I just don't get why she wasn't trained at all. She had no basic training.")   
  
???: ("Relax, You'll fix that with her dad's help.")  
  
Ranma sighs and thinks: ("I know that, but I need to take a look at the style. There are two branches to this school. I only know our family's.")   
  
???: ("I noticed that as well. Judging from your limited knowledge, I would guess that the two versions used to be one. Therefore, combining them will make us stronger.")   
  
Ranma: ("Ours is air combat, their's I think is ground.")   
  
???: ("That logic fills in some gaps in the style. Your style was originally better in the air and had less power on the ground. Her style never left the ground until that last kick. By the way, good work on her dad. I hope she wasn't so badly trained that we hurt her permanently.")   
  
Ranma: ("We'll talk later, someone is outside the door.")   
  
???: ("Till later then").   
  
Akane, in the nude, walks in.   
  
Ranma: "Akane, I presume?" Akane tenses up. "You should have read the occupied sign. I haven't seen anything. If you want to use it, please wait for a couple of minutes". Akane nods and slowly walks out. A few moments later... "Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!" Ranma gets out and dries off. "Saw that one coming"   
  
About three minutes later, the Tendo's are gathered at the dinner table. Akane is fuming smoke and saying: "I hate boys" under her breath, Soun is wondering what happened, Nabiki has some clue and is wondering how much money there is to be made via blackmail, Kasumi is serving dinner and Genma is sitting, as confused as Soun about the cause of this. Ranma strolls down the stairs. "Pervert! You tried to peep on me!" Akane jumps at Ranma with a large mallet. Ranma raises an eyebrow and kicks the head of the mallet knocking it into the floor. Akane is left holding a stick and is staring dumbly at it.   
  
"I don't know what she said, but I was in the bath first. She walked in on me. I didn't even turn around and look at her. So if anyone is a pervert, it's her". Ranma is smirking as that bit of logic is digested.   
  
The reactions are as follows: "Ara, how odd", *cash sign in eyes*, "You're still a pervert", "....." and "Boy, how dare you insult one of your fiances!?" This is a no--Brainer. Ranma: Fiances? I don't what you're...., Wait a minute. This is the old friend, we were going to see about a old pledge? This is what it was about? Haahahaahaa!"   
  
Ranma starts laughing out loud. This reaction does something pretty rare in the Tendo house. It causes silence from everyone else. Ranma stops laughing. "Haahahaha, sorry about that. If that was a joke, it was very funny. Unfortunately, knowing Oyaji here, there's a strong chance it's true."   
  
Genma: "Of course boy! The age-old pledge between friends will be honored and the school will be joined at last!" Soun jumps up and joins Genma in a round of toasting the wedding to be.   
  
Ranma smirks. "No dice." They ignore him and continue dancing. Ranma briefly flares his aura. "I said, no dice!" They stop this time. "I don't know when you did this, but there is no way I'm agreeing to this."   
  
Genma and Soun: "Quiet boy! This is for the good of the schools!"   
  
Genma: "Oh, what a worthless dishonorable son I have! To think that he would betray his family's honor!"   
  
Ranma walks over to Genma and Soun, grins, and bashes their heads against each other. "Now if you two will listen, I'll explain myself. First off, Genma, you have no right to talk of honor. You've ruined your own many times over. Second, I won't marry any of them. I'll give this thing a few months. If none of them appeal to me, then it will be called off. Third, I'll teach Akane the techniques of our branch of the any thing goes school. That will "join the schools" as you so put it. Do we have a deal? If you don't nod your heads, I'm going to smash them against each other till you agree. So, are we in agreement?"   
  
*Nods from Genma and Soun*   
  
"Good, now it's late and I think that everyone here, especially Akane, could use some sleep. Ouyasumi" Ranma starts walking up the stairs, but then turns and walks back down. "I just remembered. Kasumi, which room is mine?"   
  
"The last door on the left. You're sharing it with your father."   
  
Ranma sighs. "I Should have known. Once again, ouyasumi".   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Next Morning~*~  
  
  
  
Akane is awakened by the sounds of a fierce battle outside. She shoots up and runs to the window, only to see Ranma fighting Genma in a mid air duel. "Come on, oyaji, is the best you can do?"   
  
"Hah! I'll show you what real training is, boy!" Ranma and Genma continue to fight when Ranma flips back and leaps into the air and shoots down in a fiercesome kick. Genma blocks and Ranma strikes with his other leg and knocks Genma into the koi pond.   
  
Sign: "Not bad boy," *flips sign* "but I'm still able to land a few blows on you." Ranma looks at his left arm and notices a mark that says: "unguarded". *Smirk*   
  
"Maybe, but I'm getting better every time. I have to eat breakfast." So saying, Ranma dashes inside. Genma blinks and starts running, before tripping. He then remembers he can't run the same way when he's a panda. A typical saotome food fight ensues with the tendo household in shock at the display.   
  
"Ahh, that was amazing! I've never eaten food that good before!" Genma (who was tossed into the koi pond after trying to steal from Akane), while chewing on some bamboo that Kasumi provided holds up another sign: "Boy, you have to go school while you are here. Your fiancé will show you where."   
  
Ranma: "Oh well, it's not like I don't need it. Thanks to you, my education needs more training than Akane."   
  
Akane: *eye twitch* "Stupid boy."   
  
Ranma gets up: "Well, "student", which way to..., Sorry, which school is it?"  
  
Nabiki: "Furinkan high."   
  
"Thanks, which way to Furinkan?"   
  
Akane proceeds to glare at him before answering, "Follow me"   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~10 minutes later....~*~  
  
  
  
"Why are you walking on the fence?"   
  
"Balance training. It took me a while to learn, but I got this down when I was 8. You could do it, but you need some work in that area."   
  
Akane: "Really?"   
  
Ranma: "Yes, only don't wear a skirt, or wear some gym shorts underneath, unless you're an exbitionist?"   
  
Akane: "Pervert!"   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~At the gates of Furinkan....~*~  
  
  
  
A large group has gathered, carrying signs that say, "We love you, Akane!", "Please date me!" and, "You will be mine!"   
  
Ranma's eyebrow raises. "What the? Why are they... ?"   
  
Akane: "Don't ask" She proceeds to chant while breaking into a run: "I hate boy, I hate boys, I hate boys! Yahhh!" She starts by knocking a few basketball players into the bulk of the group. Then, she hits a hockey guy into the ground.  
  
Ranma: "Not bad, but this kind of fighting will cause her skill level to degrade. Not one of these guys has any skill.   
  
???:(True, but it is giving us the opportunity to observe her style in a hectic situation... What's wrong with her left leg?)   
  
Ranma: (What are you talking about? She shouldn't be having any problems with her.... Oh shit. She didn't let her leg recover from my attack. She can beat these guys, but there's someone who's better around here. If that guy attacks, she is dead meat).   
  
Akane is panting after disposing of the attackers. ("Stupid Ranma. If he hadn't struck my leg, I wouldn't have had to work so hard").   
  
"Oh what a boorish lot they are, that dare to vie for the hand of this tigress." A rose hits the ground in front of her.   
  
*Sigh* "Hello upperclassman." A guy in a kendo outfit with a bokken strapped to his side approaches.   
  
"I would challenge you to honorable combat, fair maiden." Akane is gritting her teeth and wondering how to beat him with an injured leg when suddenly... .   
  
"I think that's a bit of a cheap shot, kendo dude." Ranma walks up with his hands in his pockets. "If you were paying attention, she is injured in her left leg and thus, cannot fight at your level".   
  
The "kendo dude" glares at Ranma. "Impudent cur, how dare you speak in such a manner to your betters. Declare thy name!"   
  
Ranma smirks: "Ok, I'm...."   
  
"Wait is it not customary to give ones own name first? I am the kendo champion of this school, the rising star of Furinkan High, Tatewaki Kuno, The Blue Thunder!" *thunderclap*   
  
Random student: "I thought he was the shooting star."   
  
Ranma: "Ok, that was rude, but what the heck. I'm Ranma Saotome, heir to the anything goes school of martial arts. I'm not going to let Akane fight against you with an injury that I caused."   
  
"What! By what right do you stop her from fighting?!"   
  
Ranma: *smirking* "By the right of being her Sensei appointed by her father."   
  
Kuno laughs. "Hahahahahahah, what could a mongrel peasant like you, teach the likes of Akane Tendo?"   
  
"Tell you what, I'll show just how I beat her and became her sensei later on, but right now I'm late for class. See ya at lunch." Ranma lunges and makes a strike on Kuno's chest. Kuno cannot block, but the strike is not very powerful and he is seemingly unhurt. "That was a sample of my skill. Oh, and don't think I didn't hit you. Check again in about 15 minutes." He walks in with Akane limping behind him. Kuno is dragged in by a teacher about 5 minutes after the bell rings.  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Classroom~*~  
  
  
  
Akane sits down at her desk. Ranma walks over to the teacher and greets him. The teacher acknowledges him and tells him to stand in front of the class. "Class, we have a new student, his name is Ranma Saotome and he came all the way from China, so give him a nihao welcome."   
  
"Nihao, Ranma."   
  
Ranma: "Thanks, I'm Ranma Saotome, heir to the anything goes school of martial arts. I don't really have much to say about my life, but I might divulge some details if some of the cute girls in this class ask *wink*"   
  
Girls: *swoon*. Ranma proceeds to take a seat 2 seats behind Akane. He then promptly falls asleep 5 minutes later. The class sweatdrops.   
  
???:(You really should have tried to stay awake a little longer).  
  
Meanwhile in a another classroom.... .   
  
Nabiki: "I can't believe he did this in one strike"   
  
Kuno: "Humph, that arrogant cur was lucky that I was distracted by Akane's beauty." Kuno is sporting a mark on his chest that reads: "Blind spot".   
  
Kuno: "Nabiki, he claimed to be Akane's sensei, and that he defeated her. Is this true?"   
  
Nabiki: *ice queen grin* "10,000 yen, Kuno baby." Kuno promptly hands it over. "Thanks, yes it's true, he beat my sister, and he did it easily. But there's something else that will make you madder."   
  
Kuno: "What else is there could awake my wrath further?"   
  
Nabiki: "5,000 yen." Kuno hands another, smaller wad of cash over. "Thanks again, Kuno Baby. He's my sister's finace by arranged marriage."   
  
"What?!!?! I will not allow this travesty!!!" *bonk* The teacher is sporting a few veins on his head. "Kuno, go stand in the hall!".  
  
During this exchange, Ranma had slept through most of the lesson. The teacher tossed an eraser at him, it was blocked. He tried a book, same result. Akane brings out "mallet-sama". *Ka-smash!*   
  
"Ow, that hurt."   
  
"Ranma, go stand in the hall and hold these buckets of water." Akane smirks. "Miss Tendo, as much I appreciate your waking him, I've told you not to use that hammer during class. Please join him". Ranma is exercising with the buckets. "I realize this was my fault and I'm sorry. Why did this Kuno guy and everybody and his brother attack you when you arrived?"   
  
Akane sighs. "Kuno said at the beginning of the year and I quote: " If thou wisheth to date with Akane Tendo, thou must defeat her in combat!"   
  
Ranma sweatdrops. "You're kidding I hope, though judging from the fight, I guess he was serious."   
  
Akane: "Why did you stop me? I could have beat him!"   
  
Ranma: "Not on that leg. You tried to exercise it before the point wore off, didn't you?" Akane gets a mild sweatdrop. "You did. That's guaranteed to hurt if you don't wait or counter the point first. Also you couldn't have beaten him. He was holding back when he approached you. I could tell that he was better than you."   
  
At that point a loud shout is heard. "Never! I will accept neither your position as sensei nor your engagement to Akane Tendo!" A collective gasp is heard.   
  
Girl: "He's your sensei and your fiancé? Wow, you are so lucky!"   
  
Guy:"Lucky S.O.B. ..."   
  
Ranma: Oh well, the cat's out of the bag. So Kuno, do you want to fight now or shall we get some more room?"   
  
Kuno: "Lead the way." Ranma jumps out the window. Kuno follows. The other students are thinking: (This is the third floor. Is this guy nuts?). Kuno is falling toward a pool and Ranma is going to hit nearby Kuno. Ranma then starts twisting in the air and angles himself to face the outside edge of the pool. A few bursts of aura are visible to those who can sense such things. Ranma's descent slows and finally he lands gently on his feet at the edge. Kuno impacts the water behind him. A splash is erupts. Ranma blanches and runs trying to escape it. He gets away and is out of sight in a nearby treetop. (Crap, I can't believe it. I almost made it through without this happening).   
  
???: (Not like it wasn't going to happen at some point. We still have to deal with Kuno though. Any ideas?)   
  
Ranma: "Just one."   
  
???: (We were going to do that anyway, but use one of your custom CDs. We need good music for a fight). Ranma jumps out into the open. Her shirt is wet from the water and is showing quite a bit of her figure.   
  
Ranma: "I'm Ranko." She jumps to a second story window. Ranko: "Could you please take this CD to Nabiki and ask her to put track one on? I would like it on the PA system." A guy trying to fight a nosebleed and failing complies and starts running to Nabiki. Ranko jumps down to the ground and pulls Kuno out of the water. The guy she gave to the CD to goes to the window and signals her. "Ok, put it on when Kuno wakes up." The guy gives the thumbs-up. Kuno is groggy. Ranko steps on his stomach hard. Kuno coughs up a good deal of water. He then sees Ranko.   
  
"Gods in the heavens, what vision of loveliness is this that appears before my eyes,"   
  
Ranko: "Huh?"   
  
Kuno: "I would know thy name, oh pigtailed goddess."   
  
"Ranko. Ranko Saotome."   
  
Kuno: "What!? A relation of that coward, Ranma Saotome?"   
  
Ranko: "I wouldn't talk, blind boy." Kuno notices the mark on his chest.   
  
Kuno: "He used foul sorcery to make this devil mark. His skill pales before the Blue Thunder."   
  
Ranko smirks. "Let's see how good you are, Kuno."   
  
Kuno grabs his bokken and assumes a stance. "If I win, you would date with me."   
  
Ranko: "If I win, you fight Ranma for real and test your skill against him." She signals to the 2nd floor.   
  
Kuno: "Hmm?"   
  
Ranko: "Just getting some good fight music." She takes a stance. Kuno raises his bokken. A braking car is heard. Latin music is heard.   
  
PA: "She's into superstition, Black cats and voodoo dolls" Kuno facefaults.   
  
"What manner of cacophony is this?!"   
  
Ranko: "Livin La Vida Loca, by Ricky Martin. It's latin dance music. Come on, that's no way to fight or dance".   
  
PA: "I feel a premonition, that girl's gonna make me fall." She then starts dancing to the music and punches Kuno while swaying her hips. Kuno takes the hit but doesn't fall. He takes up his bokken again.   
  
PA: "She's into new sensations, new kicks in the candlelight. She's got a new addiction for every day and night." Kuno charges. Ranko charges as well. She blocks the bokken and snags Kuno's shirt off him.   
  
PA: "She'll make you take your clothes and go dancing in the rain."   
  
Ranko joins the song: "She'll make you live the crazy life, but she'll take away your pain. Like a bullet to your brain." Kuno notices his lack of haori and gets a weird expression on his face. For a close similarity, check out the expressions on guys that are nosebleeding.   
  
"My pig tailed goddess, you would gaze on my magnificence? Then allow me to view your glory as well!" He charges again.   
  
PA: "Upside inside out, She's living la vida loca. She'll push and pull you down. Livin la vida loca." Ranko winks in a seductive way.   
  
PA: "Her lips are devil red, and her skin's the color mocha." Akane and Nabiki are watching with jaws to the ground.   
  
Akane: "What is she doing?!"   
  
Nabiki: (How can I collect bets on this? She's dancing and singing a american song). "Wait a minute, look at how she's dancing. She's using the music to coordinate her attacks."   
  
PA: "She will wear you out, livin la vida loca, livin la vida loca. She's livin la vida loca."   
  
Akane: "She's still a pervert." (Nice dance moves though).   
  
Ranko meanwhile yells out to them. "Hey, Akane, Nabiki, can I get a chorus to back me up out here?"   
  
Nabiki: "Huh?!"   
  
Ranko: "Trust me!" Nabiki shrugs and sends some people out. Ranko: "One sec Kuno. Ok, people, sing what I sing. Back me up especially on livin la vida loca. Now, where were we?"   
  
PA and chorus: "woke up in New york city, in a funky cheap motel. She took my heart and she took my money, she must have slipped me a sleeping pill."   
  
Kuno starts attacking with rapid slashes. "I will have you, pig tailed goddess!" Ranko keeps making suggestive gestures with her eyes and by moving her hips to the music. She does a back flip, then goes into a flying leap and stomps on Kuno's head."   
  
"Wow, you take a lot of damage to stop."   
  
PA and chorus: "She never drinks the water, makes you order french champagne."   
  
Ranko: "Once you've had a taste of her, you'll never be the same."   
  
Chorus: "Yeah, she'll make you go insane."   
  
Ranko then starts doing a ricky martin impression with her dance moves. "Time to end this." She rushes Kuno. Kuno guards inside. She smirks and punches him hard in the stomach, then grabs his bokken and spins it out of his hands. She whistles to Akane, who comes over.   
  
Akane: "What?"   
  
Ranko: "Thought you might want the last strike. I'm through playing around. This guy was really weak." She whispers: "Plus, I don't want to finish him myself, I think he might not stop bugging me even if he loses". She hands the bokken to Akane. Akane grins evilly and proceeds to smash Kuno with his own weapon.   
  
PA: Livin la vida loca, livin la vida loca."   
  
Ranko: "You can kill the music now. Oh, and Nabiki, please return my CD later. I'm out of here." Ranko then jumps the wall and starts roof hopping to the Tendo house.   
  
The view pulls back and we see the rurouni guy from the beginning watching the action unfold from a nearby rooftop. "Heh, heh, heh, still got the weird sense of humor I see. Well, from the glimpses I got of your aura, you're mostly definetly his chosen one. I have to leave you to your own devices now, but I'll be back later when you're ready for a real opponent. In the meantime, a friend of yours will be here in a few weeks, hopefully. He'll keep you from slacking until I get back. Have fun while you can, 'Brother'". He then starts roofhopping in the opposite direction of Ranma.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
End chapter one.   
  
  
  
  
  
Author's notes: Well, that was fun. I hope you all enjoyed it as much I did. Who is the rurouni guy in the fox mask? Why did he call Ranma, "brother"? Who is the voice that Ranma hears? And, where did she learn to dance like that? Some questions will answered, some more will asked, next time on Ranma: Legends. BTW, no advice on pairing Ranma! I already have my own ideas about that. I might be open to ideas later on. No R/A though. This will be a crossover soon. I can't tell you which series yet. I'm just an S.O.B. In that I like to keep you guys in suspense. To my pre-readers, Buds, Crys, Boo, Gualen, Ketsurui and Reiko, thanks for the assist thus far. I'll listen to suggestions that you guys say. 


	2. Legend 2: NWC in the House!

Chapter 2: NWC (Nerima Wrecking Crew) in the house!  
  
~*~Somewhere in Japan 2 weeks after Ranma's arrival~*~  
  
A guy with a yellow and black polka dotted bandanna is carrying a heavy pack. He looks up toward the horizon. "Ranma Saotome, I'm going to get my revenge for your walking out on our duel." He raises a fist toward the heavens. His fist becomes surrounded by fire. "I will use my fists of fury to defeat you and claim my revenge for putting me through hell." He starts walking off in a random direction. "Now which way to Tokyo?"   
  
~*~Tendo house~*~  
  
Ranma is sparing with Akane outside. This time, Akane is doing a little better. "Not bad, but make sure to defend with your whole body, not just your arms." He then uses a kick to knock her into the pond.   
  
Akane: "Pervert, just trying feel me up!" She then grabs Ranma and throws him into the pool.   
  
Ranma-chan: "If I wanted to feel you up, I would have done it so you wouldn't notice it.... *bonk*, ow." Akane had bashed him with a mallet.   
  
Akane: "Do what you want, pervert."   
  
Ranma smirks. "I'm not the one in a wet gi."   
  
Akane looks down and notices her state of attire, and her face turns red. "Pervert!!!" *ka-smash!* Ranma begins to climb out of the crater courtesy of Mallet-sama's impact.   
  
???: (Word of advice. Avoid pointing out the obvious to people in this city. Most of them seem a little nuts. You seem to have a worse foot in mouth problem than I did).   
  
Ranma-chan: (Shut up. You could have stopped me).   
  
???: (I was thinking, sue me. Remember how we first met?)   
  
Ranma sighs. "How could I forget?"   
  
  
  
(Flashback, Jusenkyo Guide's house, 4 months ago)  
  
A feverish looking Ranma is being tended by the guide. "Honorable sir, Your son have very odd reaction to springs. Never happen in history of guides."   
  
Genma is visibly shaken by Ranma's illness and also from his beating earlier in the day. "Is he going to be ok?"   
  
Guide: "No can say, strange aura appear sometimes, switch colors, like two people in one body." A dark aura flares up, shifting between blue and black. "See?"   
  
Genma: "Can anyone help him? I won't let him die from this."   
  
Guide: "I get doctor, take maybe 2-3 hours. Keep customer warm and give plenty water to drink." The perspective changes to an odd and shifting realm.   
  
Ranma: "Where am I?" He or she at the moment notices her additions and a few subtractions. "Ahhh!!!!. What did that old man do this time?! I'm a weak and useless girl now!!!!!!"   
  
???: "If that is your attitude, then I have a lot of work to do." A cloaked figure appears behind Ranma.   
  
Ranma gets up and takes a stance. "Where am I? Who are you? What's happened to me?!"   
  
The cloaked guy removes his hood, revealing a guy in his mid-twenties with long wild coral hair. "I'm here to give you a hand. I don't remember much of my past. I'll give you my name later. You're cursed."   
  
Ranma: "What curse?!"   
  
The guy smirks. "Jusenkyo. Don't you remember what happened?"   
  
Ranma grips her head. "No..., I fell into the spring and..."   
  
"Yes, you fell into the Nyannichuan as the guide said or "spring of drowned girl" roughly translated. As to our location, that is up to you."   
  
Ranma: "Huh?"   
  
"We're in your head. We ended up here because you went overboard and used more power than you were capable of controlling. Time is not passing for the most part, so don't worry about that. You can change the scenery as you choose." The background shifts to a traditional japanese house. "Not bad. Now, let's deal with the introductions. I'm Velkaris. Vel for short. Forgot my last name. I don't remember much else."   
  
Ranma: "Ranma. Ranma Saotome. Any-goes school of martial arts. I'm the best in the world!"   
  
Vel: "Heh. You're good, but not that good....yet. Potentially, you could be the best."   
  
Ranma: "How would you know? Let's spar."   
  
Velkaris smirks. "Alright, change it to an arena and be aware that we cannot kill each other in here. Also I'm going to switch my garb."   
  
Ranma: "You can do that?"   
  
Velkaris: "In here you can. Ever hear of a movie called The Matrix?"   
  
Ranma: "Nope"   
  
Vel: "Never mind. The point is that we can alter things a bit in here. It's not the real world." His cloak shifts to a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Ranma shrugs and shifts to her standard attire. "I forgot to mention you can switch your gender in here. Your curse makes it possible." Ranma brights up and immediately switches to her male side. "Ready?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Go!" Ranma starts with a quick punch combo. Vel counters with his wrists blocking it and his leg strikes Ranma's midsection. Ranma gets the wind knocked out of him and flips back.   
  
"What style are you?"   
  
Vel smirks. "It's name is the Maboroshi Ken, or Phantom Fist. It's one of the only things I remember." He takes a stance and begins punching in Ranma's direction. Ranma is confused until a strike seems to hit him.   
  
Ranma: (What is this? He's not close enough to hit me, but I took the punch).   
  
Vel: (I can hear your thoughts. The reason you're taking the hits is because you are being hit. Open your mind and see the power of the Maboroshi Ken). Ranma focuses and suddenly sees disembodied and ethereal fists streaking toward him. He dodges some and blocks others. "Good, you have ki ability. Now try my ryuten." He then leaps into the air and does a spin right into Ranma. Ranma gets hammered and is shot back.   
  
Ranma: "Oh yeah? Try your own damn attack!" Ranma jumps up and does his own drill kick. Vel sees it coming and suddenly his eyes shine. The area ripples and time slows down. Vel moves to the side and pulls his hand back.   
  
"Kage Burai (shadow thrust)." He jumps at Ranma and thrusts his extended hand toward Ranma's leg before changing it into a fist. Time returns to normal and Ranma drill kicks into the ground, his leg obviously hurting him.   
  
"What the heck was that? How did you slow it down?"   
  
Vel: "One of the other things I remember from my past. It's not so much a slowdown for you as it's a speed boost for me. I have to the ability to use Chaos energy, and to channel it as a weapon. I used it to distort the area around you and launch my Kage Burai attack. You can actually break the distortion if you can sense it and know how to project your ki in the right way. Most people can't even sense the effect or notice my aura."   
  
Ranma: "I'm not done yet."   
  
Velkaris holds up a hand. Vel: "You couldn't beat me yet in a real fight. I have a lot more experience than you. I'm offering you something."   
  
Ranma raises an eyebrow. "What?"   
  
Vel: "I offer you an opportunity. I'm stuck in this body with you." Ranma gets a worried look on his face. "Hahahhahaha, relax. This body is still yours. I cannot control it, nor can I force you into a decision you don't want. I'm offering you my power."   
  
Ranma: "Why?"   
  
Velkaris's expression saddens a bit. "I'm dead, Ranma. The reason we are talking is because you are my reincarnation. I'm offering you all my knowledge and abilities. I'll also grant you advice. I'll speak to you inside your head if you want me. No one else will hear me. You won't get all of it right away. You'll have to train hard to use my powers. This is your choice. I must add that I cannot remove your curse. Later, I might be able to minimize it a bit."  
  
Ranma sits down and gets into a meditative pose. After a few minutes of meditation, he rises. Ranma: Ok, I'll merge with you."   
  
Vel: "Excellent. Now before we return to your body, I have to tell you a few things. While I'm doing this, let's walk around a bit and see if we can't fix some of the damage that the panda guy did."   
  
Ranma: "That panda is my dad."   
  
"I know, but he has to answer for a few things. The Neko Ken for example, which left you with an uncontrollable fear of cats".   
  
Ranma gets scared and attempts to grab the ceiling only to fall after realizing there is no ceiling at the moment. "Ccccccaaaaaats?! Where?! Get them away!!"   
  
Velkaris: "Megami, you're that afraid? Genma will answer for this. I can't believe that he would use such an insane idea. There are no cats." Ranma calms down a bit. "Second, you have two more problems. One is the idea that women are weak and useless in a fight. A blatant falsehood propagated by chauvinist fools."   
  
Ranma: "But aren't women supposed to be...?   
  
Velkaris interrupts: "Stop! Don't finish that sentence. I guess that your father's influence is to blame. Women are not usually as physically strong, but they are just as capable as men in a fight. They have the same potential as any man, they just need training to maximize it."   
  
Ranma: "Ok, I'll listen to you."   
  
Vel: "Problem #2, you're too cocky. Your cockiness is hurting your development as a fighter and as a person. Taunting an opponent is ok to a point, but don't do it to everyone. You may find yourself against opponents that are better taken out quickly. For example, if an opponent were a coward and tried to use an innocent person as a shield, then it would be best to free the hostage and stop him from hurting people, am I correct?"   
  
Ranma: "Of Course! That is the code of the martial artists!"   
  
Vel snorts. "I personally don't adhere to any code, save my own. And that code tells me to protect life and guard people from harm that others would inflict, regardless of the personal cost. Honor can be redeemed, material goods can be replaced, but life is precious and shouldn't be sacrificed meaninglessly".   
  
Ranma: "That's not what I was taught. I was taught that honor means everything to a martial artist. That we give everything, even our lives for the art."   
  
Vel walks up and backhands Ranma. "Fool!! What is the point of wasting ones life for the sake of a stupid promise or any fighting technique or school?! If you had died in that pit of cats, would your life have had meaning?! No, your life would have been wasted by an idiot's dream of glory. If you want to die for glory, then make sure it's worth dying for. But answer me this. It's easy to find something worth dying for, have you anything worth living for?"   
  
Ranma is shocked by the backhand strike and is wide eyed. Then his mind goes over what Velkaris just said, and he slumps down and starts crying. "My life has been a complete waste. I haven't done anything worth while besides the art. I have nothing worth living for."   
  
Velkaris raises his eyebrows and kneels down. "I'm sorry, Ranma. It's just that I died in a meaningless way. I never got a chance to live my life enough. I never lived the life I wanted. I don't remember much, but I know that I didn't do enough good when I had the chance."   
  
Ranma: "Thanks, but I'm still a useless kid who knows nothing but marital arts. I have no reason to live for myself."   
  
"Then just choose to live for the sake of living."   
  
Ranma: "Huh??"  
  
Vel: "I can help you find a path, but ultimately you will choose your own destiny. You'll take on part of my personality and my experience and maturity. I will advise you, but I'm mostly just going to be along for the ride. Anytime you want privacy, just ask and I will go to the spirit realm until called again."   
  
Ranma: "I'm a weakling for letting my emotions come out like this."   
  
Velkaris shakes his head. "Again your dad's stupidity shows itself. Emotions are not to be blocked off. They are to be felt and experienced. You don't have to express it as long as you feel it. I might add that most emotions can be used to raise your ki levels and overall fighting ability. Better to let it out and feel the pain that you have denied."   
  
Ranma breaks down and cries for a while. After about 5 mins, he gets up and wipes his face off. "Alright, I accept your deal." Vel puts a hand behind his head. Let's wake your body up, shall we? "  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
Vel: (That helped you out a lot. In fact.... Wait a sec. Do you feel that?).   
  
Ranma looks around with a determined expression. "Yeah, a powerful fighter is coming, a few small ones too." Ranma smirks. "Good, I could use some real opponents."   
  
~*~Yokohama Harbor~*~  
  
A cargo ship is docking late at night. Unbeknownst to the crew, a few stowaways sneak off into the city. The moon highlights the three figures. A chinese girl with long purple hair is seen along with a guy in chinese robes with glasses and a small figure bouncing on a large cane. "Aiyah, Great- Grandma, why we sneak around like this? Shampoo think it better if just march into city and look for Pigtailed girl?"   
  
The bespectacled boy trips and says: "I agree, there is no reason for stealth. They don't know we are here. I say we take our time and look for them... *Bonk* ow."   
  
"Quiet, Mousse." The small figure gets back on top of it's cane. "I know what I'm doing. The reason we are using stealth is so no one sees us. We stowed away on that ship and the sailors would not like that. As for the pigtailed girl and her panda, we will find them soon. A trained panda is not common in China, so it must be unique here in Japan."   
  
Mousse: "Still, where shall we look? This is a big city and we don't know where to start looking." *Bonk*   
  
"Quiet, Mousse!"   
  
Mousse: "Yes, Elder Cologne." Cologne looks around listens intently. Cologne: "Just the wind. We will start in the nerima area. It's supposed to be a gathering place of martial artists. Shampoo, your training will be complete as soon as you defeat the pigtailed girl."   
  
Shampoo: "Shampoo understand. Make Great grandmother proud."   
  
Cologne sighs. "Before you fight her though, try to learn the language. Let's go." The amazons leave the area and proceed to roof hop.   
  
A minute later, a glint of metal is seen. The mysterious Rurouni wearing a straw hat appears on a roof above where the amazons were talking. (Phew, that old mummy almost saw me. I underestimated her ki ability. Despite her age, she is formidable). The bottom right section of his face can be seen beneath the hat. He smirks. (Very interesting. With them and the lost boy coming here at last, Ranma will be having quite a bit of fun. Of all the weirdos, fighters and assorted idiots that Genma has dealt with, only a few are worth my "brother's" attention. Should the situation become too unmanageable, I may have to take center stage myself). With those words he jumps up and disappears from sight.  
  
~*~Nerima Ward, somewhere near Furinkan High~*~  
  
"Ranma, you showoff! Get back here!"   
  
Ranma: "Sorry, Akane, but you need to walk on the fence yourself." Akane is wearing her usual uniform but there are some bulges on parts of it.   
  
Akane: "I know that, but why did you sew weights into my uniform?!"   
  
Ranma puts his hand behind his head. "Actually, that was Kasumi. I can't sew."   
  
Akane sweatdrops. (How did he get Kasumi on his side?).   
  
Vel: (I still don't get how she could see our aura).   
  
Ranma: (I know. She has no martial arts ability, yet her ki sensitivity is amazing).   
  
(Flashback 2 days ago, early morning)  
  
Kasumi is doing the cleaning. She looks out and sees Ranma in a stance. Her eyes go wide for a second and then she sees a dark and shifting aura around him. As Ranma goes through the kata, the aura ripples and flows. The way it looks is akin to looking through a fire and seeing the area distorted by the flames. Ranma alone looks clear but the surrounding area appears distorted. "Ara, what a strange sight. I must need more sleep." Ranma's ears perk up. The distortion stops and he hops over to Kasumi.   
  
Ranma: "Did you see what I was doing?"   
  
Kasumi: "Ara, was that you? I thought I was tired."   
  
Ranma focuses and the area becomes distorted again. "No, you really did see this. What you are seeing is the manifestation of my power, the ability to control and use Chaos energy at will."   
  
Kasumi: "I don't understand."   
  
Ranma smiles and takes a seat. Kasumi sits down. "Alright, as far I can get it, Chaos permeates all things. It's the source from which everything flows." Kasumi is still smiling, but obviously is not understanding.   
  
Vel: (Ranma, I'll take over. Just repeat after me. You get this by instinct, but you'll learn something by getting the basic concept as well).   
  
Ranma: "Chaos is like the soup base that you use in soup. Without it, the soup cannot be made." Kasumi's eyes go up and then she nods. "My power allows me to manipulate the energy and do things like distort time, teleport, and disrupt certain kinds of attacks and magic. I'm still learning how to use it, so please keep this a secret until I'm ready."   
  
Kasumi smiles. "Don't worry, Ranma. I won't tell anyone. Is there anyway I can help in your training? Ranma thinks for a moment, then snaps his fingers. "No, but you might be able to help me train your sister. Could you sew weight into her clothing? I'll tell you what kinds to use.   
  
Kasumi: "Why?"   
  
Ranma smirks. "Simple, she won't listen to me yet, and I want to her to train properly whether she knows it or not. The weights will strengthen her speed and her ability to dodge."   
  
Kasumi: "Ok, Ranma-kun."   
  
(End Flashback)  
  
Vel: (I've got that itchy feeling).   
  
Ranma: (The one where you are just waiting for something to happen? Hmm? What is that?) Ranma looks out the window of the classroom. Kuno is trying to get up from where Akane smashed him. "Just Kuno. Heh." Ranma suddenly looks over to the gate in one swift motion. "About time" He gets up and walks to the front of the class.   
  
Teacher: "Yes?"   
  
Ranma: "I'll be right back. I have to go deal with something outside." Ranma then puts two fingers to his head. Two rings appear and rotate at high speed diagonally around him, he then vanishes. The class, needless to say, is shocked. Ranma meanwhile reappears outside over a tree and falls into it's branches.   
  
Vel: (I keep telling you, Don't use that trick! Something is missing, you should be able to control it better.)   
  
Ranma: (Not now, the main show just got here.) A boy with a yellow bandanna with black polka dots is entering through the gate.   
  
"This should be Nerima" He looks around and sees the sign on the front. "Furinkan High? I am in Nerima after all. Come on out Ranma Saotome!" Ranma jumps to the ground in front of the guy.   
  
Ranma: "Who's asking?"   
  
Bandanna dude: "I am. You skipped out on our duel seven years ago. I want a rematch."   
  
Ranma sweatdrops. "Ok...., Who are you again? I don't remember skipping any duels."   
  
The guys frowns exposing some fangs. "I'll give you a wakeup call then. He cracks his knuckles. Ranma is whistling. The guy runs up to Ranma and knocks him into the wall with one punch. "Now, do you remember me?" The students are shocked. Nobody at Furinkan has even been able to touch Ranma.   
  
A laugh is heard from the rubble. "Ha ha ha. Now I remember you. Only one guy could knock me through a wall that easy. How ya been Ryouga?"   
  
Ryouga smiles. "Could be worse. You?"   
  
Ranma dusts himself off. "I'm in an odd situation right now. Stop by the Tendo dojo after school and I'll tell about it." It starts raining and Ranma runs to cover.   
  
Ryouga quickly pulls out an umbrella. "You ever been to Jusenkyo?"   
  
Ranma goes wide-eyed. "You too? I thought pop and I were the only ones. What did you get?"   
  
Ryouga: "I better show you later. I tend to scare people if I change. What was yours?"   
  
Ranma: "Spring of drowned girl. It's not that bad." Ranma walks out and promptly changes sex.   
  
Ryouga whistles. "Nice. Didn't know you were such a looker, Ranma."   
  
Ranma: "Shut up. This is nice, but it causes problems sometimes." The rain clears up.   
  
???: "Prepare to die, pigtailed girl!" A bonbori impacts near Ranma.   
  
"What the hell?" A chinese girl with long purple hair, a guy in chinese robes with oversized glasses and a weird mummy on a stick appear on the roof.   
  
Ryouga: "That is an ugly zombie. Ow!" A rock had hit him in the head.   
  
"Watch your tongue, young one. I am Elder Cologne of the Amazons. The boy here is Mousse and the girl is my great-grand daughter, Shampoo." She points her cane at Ranma-chan. "And we have come to kill that girl in accordance with amazon law." Mousse launches a chain from his sleeve that hits the ground. Shampoo runs down the chain. Mousse follows. He retracts the chain after they hit the ground.   
  
Ranma sighs. "Hey, Ryouga, want to warm up against them before we fight later?"   
  
Ryouga: Sure, they seem kind of weak, except for the mummy. Ow!"   
  
Cologne: "I don't like being called a mummy. And don't worry. I'm not fighting you. They are, I'm just observing this fight."   
  
Ranma smirks. "Two on two, huh? Good odds, for us. Ryouga, you got any good fight music?"   
  
Ryouga searches his pack and pulls out a CD. "You know anything about american rock and roll?"   
  
Ranma: "Sounds good. Give it to one of the students and tell them to put in on the PA." Ryouga walks over to a student and hands him the CD.   
  
Ranma: "Ready?" Ryouga pulls out a large metal umbrella. Ranma sweatdrops. "You're still using that thing?" Guitar riffs start coming over the speaker.   
  
Ryouga: "Nevermind this. Let's burn these punks."   
  
Ranma: "I'll get the girl"   
  
PA: "Been hiding out, and laying low, it's nothing new to me."   
  
Shampoo: "What kind of noise umbrella boy playing?"   
  
PA: "Well, you can always find a place to go, if you keep your sanity."   
  
Ryouga nails Mousse with a roundhouse kick. "It's called "Out Ta Get Me" by Guns and Roses." Ranma hits one of Shampoo's bonbori into the air then jumps up and kicks it into a tree.   
  
Ranma: "I'd worry more about me and less about the music. By the way Ryouga, good taste."   
  
PA: "They can break down the doors, And they can rape my rights."   
  
Ryouga: "But, they won't touch me."   
  
PA: "They scream and yell, and fight all night." Mousse gets up and starts throwing chains at Ryouga. Ryouga blocks the first few. Mousse twists them and they ensnare Ryouga.   
  
PA: "I lose my head, I close my eyes." Ranma jumps out of the way of a bonbori and jumps into the air.   
  
Ranma: "Ryuten." Ranma spins in midair and slams into Shampoo.   
  
PA: "They won't touch me, cause I got something I been building up inside, I'm already gone." Steam starts coming off Ryouga.   
  
Ryouga: "Hibiki School technique! Blaze field!" A fiery aura encompasses Ryouga. The chains start glowing from the heat. Ryouga struggles and breaks the chains off.   
  
PA: "They're out ta get me. They won't catch me. I'm innocent, they won't break me!"   
  
Ranma: "Good music, Ryouga, where did you get that technique?" Ryouga grabs Mousse in a suplex and slams him into the ground.   
  
Ryouga: "Family style. I'll show you the rest later."   
  
PA: "Some people got a chip on their shoulder, an some would say it was me. But I didn't buy that fifth of whisky."   
  
Ryouga: "So I'd be quick to disagree."   
  
Cologne is watching the fight proceed and realizing that she may have overrated Shampoo and Mousse's skills. She prepares to jump down.   
  
???: "I thought you said you weren't interfering." A katana is right behind her.   
  
Cologne: "You're pretty good to get behind me like that, young one.   
  
???: "He's not the only one." The two voices belong to the rurouni guy and a bald monk with a staff."   
  
Monk: "I heard that the amazon elders were ugly, but I didn't know they were vampires, ow!" The rurouni guy whacks the monk with his scabbard.   
  
Rurouni: "Moron, show some respect. She is my best friend's ex-girlfriend."   
  
Cologne: "Who are you two, and who is your best friend?"   
  
The rurouni grins. "He is Zu Zhuisen, my name is a secret for the moment. My best friend is a mutual acquaintance of ours, named Happosai." Cologne blanches.   
  
PA: "They're out ta get me, they won't catch me, I'm innocent."   
  
???: "They won't break me!" A diminutive 3 foot tall man walks out.   
  
???: "Long time no see, Cologne-chan."   
  
Cologne's jaw drops. "Happosai!! But you were imprisoned?!"   
  
Happosai: "I'm the grand-master of anything goes school of martial arts, you think I could be imprisoned?"   
  
Zu: "Show some gratitude, hihi jiji (dirty old man). I got those wards off your cage."   
  
Happosai: "Nevermind those details. What is this about?"  
  
Rurouni: "Elder Cologne here, was going to take a hand in her grand-daughter's fight against my "brother" and his friend, Ryouga."   
  
Happosai: "Let me see."   
  
Ranma: "Come on, Shampoo, surely the amazons are better than this?   
  
Shampoo: "Pigtailed girl will die for mocking amazons!" Shampoo charges at Ranma-chan seeing red in her eyes (unintentional pun). Ranma makes some kind of gesture with her hands.   
  
Ranma: "Ha!" The area around her distorts and Shampoo slows down a bit. Cologne panics seeing this ability and realizes Shampoo doesn't realize what's going on.   
  
Shampoo: (Pigtailed girl just standing there, too too scared of Shampoo to move).   
  
Rurouni: "I knew it, that is the Maboroshi-ken (Phantom fist)!"   
  
Happosai: "Very impressive, he's quite good."   
  
Ranma: "Raijin." He charges some power in his fist, rushes Shampoo and hits her with a powerful blow. Shampoo falls down K.O. ed. Ryouga's jaw drops.   
  
PA: "They're out to get me, they won't catch me, I'm innocent, so you can suck me. Take that one to heart."   
  
Mousse: "My darling Shampoo! For harming her, I shall defeat you, monster!" *ka-smash* Mousse falls down unconscious.   
  
Rurouni: "Well, time to go. That was entertaining."   
  
Ryouga: "What was that move you did?"   
  
Ranma: "I'm not sure."   
  
Ryouga: "Need hot water?" He pulls out a thermos from his pack and tosses it to Ranma.   
  
Ranma-chan: "Thanks" She douses herself and changes sex again.   
  
Happosai: "Where is the pretty lady?"   
  
Zu: "Ah man, I was gonna ask for her number."   
  
The rurouni sweatdrops. "You guys did hear me call her my "brother", right?   
  
Cologne: "Quite impressive for one of your students, Happi. He'll make a fine addition to the tribe."   
  
Happosai: "He won't go willingly, besides that last technique was not one of mine."   
  
Cologne: "Huh, what style was it?"   
  
Rurouni: "Maboroshi-ken, a style not seen in several ages. Don't ask me about it, it's not my style, though I did know one of the masters who practiced it. Well, Zu, Happi, let's go. I'm sure Cologne will want to collect her students."   
  
Zu: "Can I at least get the numbers of a few girls here?" *whack*   
  
Rurouni: "Sorry for taking your stick without your permission, Elder."   
  
~*~Tendo dojo, after school~*~  
  
Kasumi is doing the laundry, when she notices two figures coming toward the house. "Hello, Ranma-kun, who is your friend?"   
  
Ryouga: Ryouga Hibiki, miss?"   
  
Kasumi: "Tendo, Kasumi Tendo. Will you be staying the night?"   
  
Ryouga: "Do you mind?"   
  
Ranma: "No problem, if Kasumi is ok with it."   
  
Kasumi: "Of course, go on in, I'll just finish this up." Ryouga walks in with Ranma.   
  
Ryouga: "She was nice, anyone else here?"   
  
Ranma: "Not counting the panda, just Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane.   
  
Ryouga does a double take. "Did you say Panda?"   
  
Ranma: "Yeah, why?"   
  
Ryouga growls. "I got hit on the head by a tree that a panda knocked down. That's why I fell into a cursed spring."   
  
Kasumi walks by carrying a bucket of water. *Trip* "Abunai, Ryouga! (Look out)." Ryouga gets hit by the cold water, and in his place is a tiger man hybrid dressed in his clothes standing on it's hind legs. (A/N: picture Long in beast mode from Bloody roar 3 in Ryouga's clothes).   
  
Ranma's eyes go wide. "Ahhhhh!!! Cat! Cat! Cat! Get it away!" He runs out of the house at lightning speed.   
  
Ryouga: "What the hell? Why is he scared of me? Kasumi, I can explain."   
  
Kasumi: "It's ok, you just have a curse like Ranma and his dad." Akane chooses that moment to walk in.   
  
Akane: *eyes go wide* "Kiyaaaa! Tiger!" She runs out.   
  
Ryouga snorts. "Coward." Kasumi runs some hot water into a cup and hands it to Ryouga. He splashes himself. "Thanks, who was that?"   
  
Kasumi: That's my youngest sibling, Akane. Ranma is training her in the family style."   
  
Ranma peeks from around the door. "Is the cccaaaatttt gone yet?"   
  
Kasumi: "Yes, Ranma-kun, the cat is gone."   
  
Ranma sighs in relief. "Ryouga, that will take a while to explain. Did you see which way the cat went?   
  
Ryouga: "Um, that cat was me."   
  
Ranma:"What?!"   
  
"I said I had a curse too, dumbass."   
  
Ranma:"Oh, so that is your curse."   
  
Ryouga: " Yeah, a were- Tiger, you were talking about a panda?"   
  
Ranma blinks. "Oh, you mean pops? He fell into the spring of drowned panda. Uh oh...." Ryouga walks into the living room with an evil gleam in his eye. "Come on out, you cowardly pile of fur!!" Genma looks over from his game of Shogi with Soun. (A/N: Shogi is a japanese version of chess).   
  
Genma: "Quiet boy, I don't need to be distracted."   
  
Ryouga grins in a sadistic way. "One problem, panda-man, I'm not Ranma." He runs over and lifts up Genma by the front of his Gi. Genma strikes Ryouga in the collarbone. Ryouga grimaces and throws Genma into the pool. He then goes on one knee. "I forgot how good Ranma's dad is. Ouch." The afore mentioned panda emerges from the pool.   
  
Sign: "You're not bad, but you have no chance against me, boy."   
  
"Ranma, you might not want to watch this."   
  
Ranma:"You're gonna kick pop's ass, so what? There's a long line of people who also want to do that. Just don't transform, I'd rather not see that again...." Ryouga charges the panda. Genma blocks Ryouga's punch with his left paw and slashes Ryouga's shirt with his right. Ryouga's fist glows.   
  
Ryouga: "Magma Drive!" He does a flaming uppercut. Genma is smoking.   
  
Sign: I'll give this round to you. He falls down. The sound of clapping is heard. Ranma walks out and looks to the roof. There, sitting on the roof is the rurouni guy from earlier. He's not wearing his straw hat this time. Without it, we can see that he looks about 30ish with a pale face and a silver fox mask on the left side of his face, complete with an ear, and silver hair pulled up in a pony tail. (A/N: For his hair, think Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin: Rememberence. For those who don't speak japanese, It's the movie where they show his past with Tomoe).   
  
"Heh, heh, heh, that was entertaining, though not as much as your last fight."   
  
Ranma: "You saw that fight?"   
  
The ronin nods. "Indeed, and you still have a long way to go." *"Whistle of the Warrior" starts playing in the background*   
  
Ranma: "Think you can back that up?" Ranma leaps into a flying kick at the rurouni. The ronin jumps out of the way. Ranma touches the roof and springs off after the ronin. The ronin pulls out a bokken and strikes Ranma down. Ranma hits the ground. The ronin floats down at a impossibly slow rate.   
  
The ronin smirks in a familiar way. "Not bad, but you have yet to truly unleash your potential."   
  
Ranma: "......" The ronin raises his visible eyebrow.   
  
Ranma: "...Senretsu." Ranma kicks at the ronin, transferring to an ax kick. He then reverses the ax kick and hits the ronin into the air. Just as the ronin regains his balance Ranma hits him with a 2-handed open palm strike. Ranma shakes his head. "What happened?"   
  
Ryouga: "You just did a nice combo on this guy."   
  
The ronin gets up. "Gods be damned, If I had known you had gotten your old techniques back, I wouldn't have held back so much." *music stops* Ranma is looking a bit clueless at the moment.   
  
Ryouga: (Who the hell is this guy, he's way better than Ranma, and what's he talking about?)   
  
Ronin: "I suppose some kind of explanation is in order. As much as it would help clear this up, I'm afraid I can't say everything. However, I'll say what I can. Shall we discuss this over a cup of tea?"   
  
Ranma shrugs. "Ok, let's go in."   
  
Ronin: "No, not here, I have a better venue for this. Follow me." He jumps toward a nearby roof and starts roof hopping away. Ranma and Ryouga follow him.   
  
~*~10 minutes later~*~  
  
The trio stops outside an expensive looking club in the Shibuya district. Ranma: "I know I can't afford this. Ryouga?" Ryouga pulls out his wallet.   
  
Ryouga: "Barely enough for the cover charge."   
  
Ronin: "Relax, anything you order is on the house."   
  
Ranma, Ryouga: "Really?!"   
  
Ranma: "How can you guarantee that?"   
  
The ronin smirks again. "Simple, I own this club." A facefault ensues. "Follow me." He walks through the doors. They follow cautiously. When they walk in, they see a place that seems to be a restaurant bistro.   
  
???: "May I see your invitations, gentlemen?" A well dressed maitre d' is tapping his foot.   
  
Ranma: "Well, we don't have any." He puts his hand behind his head in a sheepish manner. The maitre d' snaps his fingers and two large bruisers in tuxedos step out from the curtains.   
  
Maitre d': "Can you pay the cover charge?"   
  
Ranma: "How much?"   
  
Maitre d': "100,000 yen."   
  
Ranma: "Aw, shit, I don't have that much on me." The bruisers pull out some brass knuckles.   
  
Ranma: "Would it help if we said we knew the owner?"   
  
Maitre d': "What is his name?"   
  
Ranma: "Umm, Ryouga, did you catch it?"   
  
Ryouga: "He never said it, he's an average height guy with a fox mask and dressed in samurai garb."   
  
Maitre d': "Mister Taishin said don't let anyone in to see the boss if they didn't know his name."   
  
Bruiser #1: So, amscray, youse punks, before we murdalize you."   
  
Bruiser #2: "What he said."   
  
Ryouga: "I don't take orders from punks, punk."   
  
Bruiser #1: "Hahahahahaah! The wittle boy wants to have a fight with the big bad man. Now vamoose, before I gets angry."   
  
Ryouga: "That's it, I'm frying this guy. Kick thirteen!" He launches a flaming kick at the guy. The bruiser is knocked into the wall.   
  
Bruiser #2: "Uhhh, this one is yours, I quit." He puts the other guy on his shoulder and walks out the door.   
  
The maitre'de is sweating bullets. "Well, heheh, umm, yes, umm..."   
  
???: "What in the name of Hachiman is going on out here?" (A/N: Hachiman is the japanese god of war.) A man in a purple business suit with a red cravat walks out. (A/N: Think Kazuya's purple suit from Tekken.)   
  
Maitre d': "Oh, Mr. Taishin, thank goodness! These two ruffians just barged in and knocked out the bouncers. Please help me evict them!" 'Taishin' responds by picking up the maitre d' up by his shirt collar and throwing him out the door. "But Mr. Taishin!?"   
  
Taishin: "You're fired. I heard the conversation. How many people will ask to see Sir Kayin? Most people are not dumb enough to ask to see him unless he has asked for them. He just told me to come out and greet these two guests of his. Gentlemen *nodding to Ranma and Ryouga*, follow me." They walk over to a side table and sit down. The ronin is seated across from them.   
  
Ronin: "Greetings, I'm Kayin."   
  
Ranma: "Ranma Saotome."   
  
Ryouga: "Ryouga Hibiki."   
  
Kayin: "This is Kazuro Taishin, my lawyer, business associate, and manager of the club Sesshouku." A waiter walks up and hands them the menus. "Order anything you like, it's on the house." Ranma looks through the menu. "I don't know what most of this is."   
  
Ryouga: "Chicken ala flambe, ebi-tempura (A/N: Ebi is shrimp), and what do think is good to drink?"   
  
Kayin: "I'll just order some chrysanthemum tea."   
  
Ranma: "You're fluent in english?"   
  
Ryouga: "I picked up a few languages. Besides, I've had the chicken dish before. You think I could enroll in Furinkan? My regular education bites."   
  
"Since you don't understand most of the menu, I'll just order some sauteed mushroom soup for me and a dish of ravioli to start with." He makes a gesture to Kazuro. "Go get Zu and Happi. If he's not with Zu, try the women's dressing room."   
  
Ranma: "Who is Zu and Happi?" A bald guy with the six dot pattern on his head walks out.  
  
"Zu Zhuisen, you guys jamming without me?"   
  
Ryouga: "What?"   
  
Kayin: "Sometimes, even I don't understand him. Sit down. Where's Happosai?"   
  
Women's voices: "Eeeek! Pervert! Hentai!"   
  
Kazuro: "Your pervert, sir."   
  
Happosai: "Why did you stop me from gettting my silky darlings?"   
  
Kayin: "Because, I want you to meet two interesting fellows. Ryouga Hibiki, and Ranma Saotome."   
  
Happosai looks them over with an inquisitive eye. "Not bad, the boy with the bandana has a lot of fire ki, but I can't quite figure out the other one."   
  
Ranma: "Fire Ki? Is that how you did those moves?"   
  
Kayin: "Happi is showing his age. It's elemental energy, not ki. It's more powerful, but not everyone can use that kind of power." Happosai grabs a glass of water and makes to throw it at Ranma, when suddenly Kayin knocks it away with one lighting fast movement. "One, I don't think "Ranko" would appreciate being groped. Two, I'm pretty sure that Ranma has been trained in the neko-ken (Cat fist). I really don't need to remodel this place."   
  
Ryouga: "Neko-ken?"   
  
"I think this story is not mine to tell."   
  
Ranma sighs heavily. "You saw the effects when you changed into a were-tiger. The training consists of taking a bunch of cats, dig a pit, throw the cats in, and starve them for a few days. After a few days, take one 4 or 5 yr old kid that you want trained in the neko-ken, and toss them in the pit. Repeat until they learn the technique or go nuts."   
  
Zu: "Ugh, The Shaolin elders showed me a scroll, that technique is bogus. The last page says not to actually use it."   
  
Kayin: "I've heard that there was a real version at one point, but that it was lost and that fake version was used as a form of torture at one point."   
  
Zu: "Sorry man, but Shaolin is still working on a way to cure people of the fear."   
  
Happosai looks at the confused face of Ryouga. "The training often leaves the person with a lifelong fear of cats. If they are around cats too long, they revert to a feral state." Ryouga smiles a bit.   
  
Zu: "Don't think that's a good thing. A person in the feral neko state is not a nice little pussycat. They become a berserker and attack anyone around them."   
  
Happosai: "A person in that state has increases senses, fighting ability, strength and agility. A really powerful martial artist can manifest ki claws."   
  
Kayin: "Enough. Let's eat first and continue this later. Happi, Zu, you may place your own orders." Everybody sits down. The food arrives shortly. Happosai and Ranma begin the age old tradition of practicing the any-goes school food techniques. Zu is digging into his salad. Kayin develops a twitch on his forehead. "Stop right now, or I'll throw you both out the nearest window. This is a high-class place, not a bar or a dojo. Eat like civilized people." They immediately settle down. A few minutes later, the waiters come and take the food away. Happosai lights his pipe and sits down on a raised cushion.   
  
Kayin: "Now then, let's talk."   
  
Ranma: "Ok, first off, what did you mean by remembering my old techniques? I don't know those techniques!"   
  
Zu: "Kayin, you said you recoqnized the style. Throw us a bone."   
  
Kayin sits backs and drinks a cup of tea. His one visible eye is closed. He pours another cup and opens his eye. "Alright. I'm not gonna tell you the whole story. Suffice to say, I am intimately familiar with that style. You're starting to learn how use it again. I'm offering you a deal."   
  
Ranma: "What kind of deal?" Kayin puts a sheet of paper down on the table. Ryouga unfolds it.   
  
Poster: Kamikaze Budoukai (A/N: Tournament of the divine wind), the stage on which the greatest fighters test their skill. All comers welcome! Big prizes, cash, connections, you win, it's yours! Tournament location to be announced.   
  
Ryouga: "Any rules?"   
  
Kayin: "Basic tournament rules. Win by submission, knockout, ringout and judgement by a select panel if fights go too long. No killing, any attacks on the audience will be cause for immediate forfeit and disqualification, likewise for outside help. Matches may be set up any way the fighters want, however both fighters must agree beforehand."   
  
Ranma: "Why does this concern me?"   
  
Zu: "It's simple, Simon. You win, you get answers to the questions that perplex you."   
  
Kayin: "Such as, who am I?, What is that fighting style?, And who is Velkaris?"   
  
Vel: (What?! How the hell does he know who I am?!)   
  
Kayin: "If you enter this tournament, and prove that you are worthy of his legacy, I will give two things, one is answers to your questions, and the other is this." He reaches into his right hand and and puts his other hand in. He pulls his left hand out of his rippling right hand and puts a strange orb on the table. The orb pulses with a light pattern like a heartbeat.   
  
Ryouga: "What is that?"   
  
Kayin: "The soul of chaos. An ancient artifact that rightfully belongs to you. However, due to the rules regarding it, it must be earned in a contest to determine your worthiness."   
  
Vel: (Ranma, can you feel that? It's calling to us, like It was part of me at one time.....)   
  
Happosai whispers to Zu: "What is that thing? There's something scary about it."   
  
Zu: "Don't know, Kayin has had it for a long time, pretty sure he's been looking forward to getting rid of it somewhere." Ranma sits back for a minute.   
  
Ryouga: "How much is the cash prize?"   
  
Kayin: "Kazuro has the details. That poster is just for the advertising value, the actual rules and prizes are only to be disclosed to the contestants."   
  
Kazuro: "Sir Ranma, Shall I put your name on the list?"   
  
Ranma: "No, not interested." Everyone at the table is shocked.   
  
Kayin: "Would it be rude to ask why?"   
  
Ranma: "Simple, I don't trust you. You're not telling me something. Yeah, I want that orb, but I think that there's something wrong with it, or you wouldn't be eager to get rid of it."   
  
Kayin: "I can alleviate one concern, the orb itself is powerful, but without a master, it's just a glorified magic eightball." He picks it up and tosses it to Happosai. Happi catches it and is promptly shocked.   
  
Happosai: "It said: "Though you possess knowledge of chaos, my strength is only for the knight of chaos. Thou are not worthy of my power."   
  
Ryouga: "Knowledge of chaos?"   
  
Happosai lights his pipe. "I am the grandmaster and founder of the anything goes school of martial arts."   
  
Ranma: "That's my school! Do you know my father?"   
  
Happi: "Who is your father?"   
  
"Genma Saotome."   
  
Happi grips the table hard. "That punk never learned how to fight, he had potential, but no drive to learn. If you're even half as bad as he was, I'll not teach you a thing."   
  
Ranma laughs. "Hahahah, well, you definetly know pops alright. Trust me, I've had it up to here with his laziness."   
  
Kazuro gestures to his wristwatch. "Sirs, forgive the interruption, but the hour is close to 6."   
  
Kayin: "Sorry, but I have to open the place up. I've got a business meeting later, so you'll have to leave by yourselves." He grins and picks up Happosai. "Here, take him with you, I'm sure his ex-students will be overjoyed to see him."   
  
Happosai: "That's right, I still owe Genma for shutting me in that cave. Where is he staying?"   
  
Ranma: "With a friend of his named Tendo."   
  
Happosai laughs maniacally. "Two birds with one stone. Tendo was also a pupil of mine."   
  
After their departure, Zu looks at Kayin. "You really think he'll enter? He's no square, he knows something ain't kosher."   
  
Kayin: "Doesn't matter. The orb is his, if he earns it. I'll be glad to return it. I sensed Velkaris's spirit is in him. The tournament will determine just how much Vel has taught him."   
  
Zu: "And what if someone crashes the party?"   
  
"It will make things more fun. The Sailor Senshi are about due to start noticing him. It's just a matter of time until a confrontation happens. I want to set their first meeting up myself."   
  
~*~20 minutes later, Tendo Dojo~*~  
  
The trio goes through the gate. Happosai: "Wait a moment. You go in first. I want to surprise Soun later."   
  
Ryouga: "Ok, Gramps." Ranma and Ryouga walk to the door. Kasumi answers it. "Ara, welcome back. Why are you out so late?"   
  
Ranma: "That ronin guy who was here earlier wanted to talk to us. How soon till dinner is ready?"   
  
Kasumi: "I'm just about to start."   
  
Ryouga: "I'm probably going to be staying here a while. Mind if I help you?"   
  
Kasumi: "Not at all, Ryouga-kun." Ranma goes outside to do some kata. Ryouga is slicing vegetables.   
  
Kasumi: Oh, Ryouga?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Who is outside?"   
  
Ryouga: "Umm, no one that I know."   
  
Kasumi: "Really, then why did you talk with him?"   
  
Ryouga sighs. "Promise not to make a scene?" Kasumi nods. Ryouga puts his head out the kitchen door. "Come on out, old man! Kasumi wants to talk to you!"   
  
Happo bounces out into the open. "Kasumi?" Kasumi looks out and sees Happi.   
  
"Grandpa Happosai!" She picks him up and gives him a hug. Happosai, in a rare moment, does not try to glomp her. She puts him down. "I missed seeing you around, Grandpa."   
  
Happosai: "I'm glad you're doing well. I'm going to scare your father and Mr. Saotome a little bit."   
  
Kasumi: "Ok, Grandpa, dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes, Ryouga's helping me."   
  
"Good boy, I'll talk to you later, Kasumi." He walks up to the door between the kitchen and the dining room.   
  
Ranma is talking to his dad. "Hey, pops, you ever hear of someone named Happosai?"   
  
Genma and Soun turn white as a sheet. "Boy, where did you hear that name?!"   
  
"Saotome, did he ever meet the master?"   
  
"No, Tendo, I don't think so."   
  
Ranma: "Funny, I heard a funny story, about how two of his students imprisoned him in a cave. He was supposed to be the creator of the any-goes school."   
  
Genma: "Boy, Happosai was a demon incarnate, a plague on civilization, he needed to be imprisoned."   
  
Soun: "It was difficult, but after a long batte, we finally sealed him away."   
  
Ranma smirks. "That's odd, he told me you two got him drunk and tossed him in a cave sealed with wards."   
  
Genma: "Yes, that was a difficult day..., Wait a moment, he?!"   
  
Happosai: "That's right, you lazy bums. I'm still mad about that, but if you start groveling now, maybe I'll forgive you." The miniature martial artist bounds into the room.   
  
Genma & Soun: "Master Happosai?!" They immediately perform the moko-rakuchisei, which is basically grovel and kowtow to a person.   
  
Happosai: "That's better. Now, ask Kasumi if there is any sake, and if she would mind my indulging myself." Soun immediately rushes to the kitchen and brings back a bottle of sake.   
  
Soun: "She said: "Alright, but wait til after dinner." Forgive us, Master!!" The tendos sit down to a nice dinner.   
  
Akane: "Who is the midget?"   
  
Nabiki: "Do we know you?" Happosai pulls out his pipe and conks Akane on the head lightly. He then lights it.   
  
Kasumi: "No smoking at the table, Grandfather."   
  
Nabiki does a rare double-take. "Grandpa? We don't have a grandfather!"   
  
Kasumi: "Yes, we do, you were just too young to remember him. He went away for a long time."   
  
Happosai: "These bungling fools here *points at Genma and Soun* put me in a cage for a long time."   
  
Genma and Soun grovel again. "Forgive us, master!!!!"   
  
~*~Late that night~*~  
  
Ranma is sitting up thinking about Kayin's offer. (I wonder if I did the right thing.)   
  
Vel: (Perhaps, but eventually we may have to enter this tourny.)   
  
Ranma: (You just want that orb.)   
  
Vel: (Partially, but there is more to this. When I sensed that orb, I saw some flashes of memory. That thing contains some of my memories.)   
  
Ranma: (What about that fighting style?)   
  
Vel: (Don't worry, just focus and all the moves you've done so far will appear in your mind, you'll get the rest as you fight.)   
  
~*~Somewhere outside of time~*~  
  
A green haired woman in a sailor fuku is looking at a picture in a giant blue doorway. "Hmm, Crystal Tokyo is fluctuating. There's been an increase in the amount of chaos. What is this?" She waves a staff shaped like a key. The picture shifts to Nerima. She tries to read the future. All of a sudden the door starts shaking like an earthquake is happening.   
  
Mystery woman: "What?! A time quake?! What could disrupt the time gates this much??" The gates start flashing pictures. A vast army poised for war, a skeletal demon, a swordsman with a fox half-mask striking at untold speed, marital artists fighting somewhere in Japan, a man with coral hair, a girl with a scythe and lime green hair, a monk acting lecherous, a bandanaed boy with a firey aura, a dragon of metal, and the last picture is of a man in strange armor with a skull like mask. The man's eyes glow red and for some reason the woman is reminded of a strange and ancient fear of this figure. The masked man gestures and destroys Crystal Tokyo with a single blast. The woman collapses and starts crying. For reasons impossible to explain, those images touched her and she felt the evil of that last picture and she felt the terror of those who will die by his hands. *Catches her breath* "I've got to tell the princess and the other senshi about this." She teleports out.   
  
A figure teleports in. "Hahahahaha. Pity you didn't study strategy, Sailor pluto, or should I call you Setsuna?" The robed figure disappears.  
  
~*~?????, 5 minutes later~*~  
  
  
  
The robed figure appears. It approaches a throne.   
  
???: Report, Velius. Did you show her the pictures?"   
  
Velius: "Yes, my liege. The sailor senshi will now, according to my scenario investigate Nerima. They will fight our enemies for us.   
  
???: "And my old rival?"   
  
Velius removes his hood revealing a skeletal face. "He has not awoken yet. He does not possess the soul of Chaos. My former student suspects something."   
  
???: "That is your concern, not mine. Deal with it if necessary. Remember, the one with Velkaris's soul is mine. My victory is in my grasp. To conquer heaven and hell, one must transend one's limits. I will become the supreme and change the universe itself. Destruction is the path to the divine."   
  
~*~Narita airport, morning of the next day~*~  
  
A lime-green haired girl is walking through customs. She is to say the least, well-proportioned.   
  
Security guard: "Umm, miss?" The girl looks at him.   
  
Guard: "I must ask you to please got through the metal detector.   
  
The girl says in a sultry voice: "Now, you surely don't want me to got through that machine, do you?" The guard nods, albeit with his eyes on her chest. She walk through. It triggers.   
  
Guard: "Miss... *looks at her passport* Ichigami, please submit to a search." She goes to a wall. The guard pats her down. He then tries to feel her chest. She elbows him hard and he falls down. He reaches for a walkie-talkie, when he looks up and sees a scythe aimed at his family jewels.   
  
Miss Ichigami: "Now, as I was saying, do you want me to do something that we'll both regret, or shall I just forget you groped me and let you keep your balls?" The guard faints. The girl blinks. "When you got it, flaunt it." She puts the scythe away, picks up the luggage and walks to a taxi.   
  
A guy who was watching that picks up a cell-phone and speed-dials a number. "Boss Taishin, and make it fast. Hello, boss? Yeah, the girl fitting the description just left the airport. She threatened to castrate a guard who groped her." *Laughter on the other end* "What does Boss Kayin want us to do?" *Murmurs on the phone* "Ok, we'll keep an eye on her. No, no, no one is going to bug her. I'm pretty sure none of my guys could stop her anyway."  
  
End chapter two.  
  
Author's notes: Well, that took a while. Got say, I really didn't think I'd still be finishing it after new years. Ah well, Happy New Year! Major props to my editor Ketsurui, without whom, I'd still be stuck. Props to my pre-readers, omega X, Boo, crys and Reiko. Things are heating up. Who the hell is the masked guy? What is the deal with that freaky orb? Will we ever find out what's going on?! I'm going to start unraveling the plot next chapter. Next time on Ranma Legends: "Senshi In The Mix" and "The Tournament For Ranma's Heart". 


	3. Legend 3: Senshi In The Mix

A/N: Ok, I'm putting this here to address certain concerns of the readers. First off to Aqualens. The fight to music thing stays. There will be music during the fights, but they won't be fighting in sequence with the music for the most part. I feel it conveys the right feeling and atmosphere. 2nd, I'm going to address how Vel knows this stuff in this chapter. 3rd, you gotta admit it's a good concept. Deefer, shut up. I never said that my Ranma solved any of his problems. The shit is just starting to hit the fan. The fiancee brigade has only just begun to arrive. To my friend, Buds (Omega X), it's just that kind of fic, dude. The first two chapters were tough. Didn't really have a plan, just needed to kill some time. To Sano, trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet. Coral, thank you. That was a very inspiring review. Rainowl, that is a compliment of the highest order to me. L'mc, thanks dude. To everyone else, Yes, I will update. When I feel I have written up to par, the updates will go through my editor, Ketsurui. So, no more bad spacing and such. Thanks for those who like this fic so far. If you don't have the music or don't know the stuff I cite, just e-mail me. I'm also on msn messenger. The song "Whistle of the warrior is from Wild Arms. It's the theme song of Boomerang. I am stealing stuff from video games, so keep an eye out. Ryouga's techs have been taken from DMC thus far (Devil May Cry). Be sure to give at least half the credit to my brilliant editor, Ketsurui. And now, on with the show.   
  
Chapter 3: Senshi in the mix  
  
~*~Furinkan High, about 10 minutes before the hentai horde starts~*~  
  
A well endowed girl is walking up to the gate. She takes a look around. "This is Furinkan? I hope it lives up to it's reputation." She takes a look at a letter in her hand. "Dear Miss Ketsurui Ichigami, I'm glad you received this letter. As you may be aware, you possess certain powers. Enclosed are airline tickets, a list of a few places of interest, directions to the Nerima district of Tokyo, and an invitation to the KamiKaze Budoukai. I can assure you, you won't be disappointed with the fights or the people. I will personally guide you to the tournament when it is time. Until then, take the TA position (teacher's aide) in Furinkan High. I have set up the position for you. It will make it easier for me to find you. Signed, Lord Kayin. P.S. There are a lot of people who will pick fights with you. Have fun, and avoid fighting Ranma Saotome until the tournament."   
  
Ketsurui smiles. "Hmm, I want to meet this guy. He sounds like fun." She yawns, causing her chest to move in a nose-bleed inducing way. She goes over to a tree and sits down.   
  
Ten minutes later, she wakes up to the sounds of a fight. "I hate boys! I hate boys!" screams Akane. She attacks the various sports teams. Her attacks have improved somewhat. However, she still is somewhat clumsy and lacking in finesse. In a nearby tree, Ranma is sitting and appraising her fight with a critical eye.   
  
(Argghhh!! I've had it with this girl! She simply has no drive, no skill and no looks! Why did we ever go along with another of your dad's ideas?!) rages Vel.   
  
(Ow! Stop! You're giving me a headache, it's too early for this. We'll deal with it later.) says Ranma with an irritated expression.   
  
(I can't believe my luck. Not only is she here right on time, she's fairly good looking. Too bad she's a little young.) thinks Kayin, high up on the roof. The hentai horde is subdued.   
  
A rose hits the ground beneath Akane's feet. "Ah, such base fools, these mortals are, that dare to contend for thy hand."   
  
Kayin is sweatdropping. (You've got to be kidding me. Shakespeare is probably rolling in his grave now.)   
  
(Who is this guy? He looks a little out of it.) thinks Ketsurui.   
  
Kuno walks out with his bokken sheathed and a bouquet that he hands to Akane. "Thanks, Kuno sempai" she says in a somewhat forced fashion.   
  
"You may thank me by dating with..." Akane is about to belt him one, when Ketsurui walks out to see what is going on. Kuno gets a glazed look in his eye that is shared by most of the hentai horde.   
  
Ketsurui sashays over to Akane. "Excuse me, but why are they attacking you?"   
  
Akane sweatdrops. "Um, you're new here, aren't you?" Ketsurui nods. "Ok, this guy said that to date me, then you need to beat me in combat."   
  
Ketsurui looks confused for a minute, then starts laughing. "Hahahahah. Why didn't you just turn them down?" Akane facefaults. Ranma facefaults out of the tree. "Besides, why would they go after you? You're too butch and flat-chested to be of any interest." Akane starts getting mad.   
  
Kuno shakes his head and looks at Ketsurui. "Ah, my lime-haired goddess, wouldst thou date with me?" says Kuno, handing her the roses.   
  
She thinks about if for a sec. "Nah, you're not my type."   
  
"Come on, Kuno, leave the girl alone." Says Ranma walking over.   
  
"Silence foul sorcerer Saotome!" yells Kuno.   
  
Ketsurui blinks. "Saotome, as in Ranma?"   
  
Ranma groans. "Not another one. If you're here for an engagement, then please leave me alone."   
  
She blinks again. "Sorry, you're not my type either. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone special."   
  
Akane is twitching. ((Butch?!) *twitch* (flat-chested?!) *bigger twitch* "Take this, bimbo!!" She swings "mallet-sama" at her. Ketsurui slices the mallet apart with one motion of a wicked looking scythe. Ranma gives her the thumbs-up. Ketsurui bats her eyes at him, causing him to look very nervous.   
  
She walks over to Akane and whispers in her ear. "Don't try to fight with me, little girl. Learn how to fight, get a little growth in the right places, and maybe I might be interested in you." She walks to the entrance.   
  
Akane unfreezes and just realizes what the girl said. "That pervert!!" she yells out.   
  
Kuno attacks Ketsurui from behind. "I would date with you, lime-haired goddess!" Ketsurui rolls her eyes. She strikes with her scythe, cutting Kuno's bokken apart. "Little boys should not go waving short sticks around. By the way, do you know the nutcracker suite?"   
  
Kuno looks confused. "My lime-haired goddess, does this mean that you do not desire me?" Ketsurui sighs and knees him in the nads. Every guy including Ranma instinctively protects that area.   
  
"Iiiii, that's just mean. That is not right. You don't do that to a guy, even Kuno doesn't deserve that." says Kayin. Happosai is drooling over her. "Don't, Happi. She's under my protection."   
  
"I can't even try to get her sliky darlings?"   
  
Kayin thinks for a moment. "Hmmm, actually, I do need to check her skills out. Alright. But not today. Tomorrow, you can try it. I'm fairly sure she's bi though." Happi bounds off saying something about silky darlings and pretty ladies. "Hmm? Someone is coming." He closes his eye and sits down in a meditative pose. One minute later, his eye shoots open. "The sailor senshi... . I was hoping to avoid them for a little longer. Time to get that lazy priest to lend a hand." He bounds off in a hurry.   
  
Inside the School, Ketsurui has just entered the classroom. The teacher looks up from the lesson plan. "And you are?"   
  
"Ketsurui Ichigami. New teacher's assistant".   
  
The teacher looks through his notes. "Ah, yes. Please introduce yourself to the class."   
  
"Hi, I'm Ketsurui Ichigami. I'm the new TA, I'll try to help all of you with your work. My hobbies include surfing, chemistry, and geology. I hope to meet all of you later." She winks at the class. There are various wolf whistles from the male sections and hateful glares from the girls. She takes a seat next to Ryouga. The lesson proceeds without incident, save for Ranma being rudely awakened and sent to the hall. Ryouga accidently moves his hand onto her leg. She smiles and moves around.   
  
Akane pulls out her mallet. (I've got to stop her from corrupting the rest of the school.) She prepares a strike. Ketsurui sees the attack coming and takes a guard stance with her right arm raised. The blow is somehow deflected back to Akane. Akane is on the ground seeing stars. Ketsurui gets up and takes a bow. The male side of the class starts cheering, along with a few girls, who seem to also appreciate her looks.   
  
The teacher clears his throat. "Miss Ichigami, while I realize you acted in self-defense, it is not appropriate to fight in class. Please take miss Tendo to the nurse's office and join mister Saotome in the hall. Miss Tendo will be joining you when she regains consciousness." Ketsurui shrugs and starts dragging Akane along the floor. The teacher walks out of the classroom to say something. "Nice job stopping her though. Next time, just make sure she doesn't break anything beforehand." he whispers.   
  
Ranma is doing squats with the buckets, Ketsurui is listening to Invoke (Gundam SEED opening song) on an ipod, and Akane is fuming with the buckets. "So, do you live up to your name, Ranma?" says Ketsurui with an interesting smile.   
  
"Umm, what do you mean?" stammers Ranma.  
  
"Well, you are called the "wild horse" aren't you?" says Ketsurui with a hentai grin. Ranma is looking very nervous. Akane is seeing red.   
  
"You..., Pervert! He's my fiancé!" Ranma snaps out of it and looks crossly at Akane. "No, you're my student, and a lousy one to boot." Akane throws the bucket at him. Ketsurui's jaw drops.   
  
A Ranma-chan with a wet t shirt is standing in front of her. "Damn it, Akane! I was trying not to get wet..., You ok?" She turns to Ketsurui, who seems to be in shock. She snaps out of it. She blinks at the change. Ranma sighs, seeing as how this happens a lot. She is not prepared for a poke on her chest. "Hey?! Stop that?!" she yells hitting her hand away. "I don't like getting felt up."   
  
Ketsurui smiles. "Ranma," she says thrusting her chest in her face, "Would you prefer to feel mine?" Ranma looks down, and promptly faints. "Heh, gets them every time."   
  
Akane is in shock. Ketsurui taps her on the shoulder. "Huh?"   
  
"Is he...., 'Well developed'?" Akane looks confused. "You know, is the change, complete? I'm just wondering if his guy form is as built as his girl form. Come on, just between us girls, not counting her."   
  
Akane is still confused. Ketsurui sighs and whispers into her ear. Akane goes red. "No, I don't know! Why would I care about that pervert?"   
  
"Well, if you don't want him, I'll take him. Maybe I'll share too, if you ask nicely."   
  
"What?!"   
  
~*~Inside Ranma's head~*~  
  
"Oiiiii, you'd think that you'd stop doing that." says Velkaris. He picks up Ranma's head and starts slapping him a bit.   
  
"Uhhhh, no more training, pops. I wanna sleep..." Vel snorts.   
  
"Wake up, or I'll tell her to give you oral resusitation." Ranma shoots up.   
  
"Question?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"How come you know all these movies and western music? Not complaining, it's great stuff, but you're dead."   
  
"Well, I had to do something in here. I have no idea when I woke up in here. I was kinda bored. One day, I found something. It was a vision screen of some kind in mid air. There were images on it. I later figured out that the thing was some kind of tv for the spirit world. It got all channels and it got music as well. So, I watched a lot of television and listened to music. Memory never really came back, just bit and pieces." Vel produces a chair and sits down.   
  
"So, what are you going to do about the amazons, and the engagement?"   
  
Ranma sighs. "I don't know, I suck at dealing with girls. Your idea to make that announcement on the first day was good. It kept most of them from going after me, due to intimidation. But...."   
  
Vel blows air out his mouth. "You want to be able to deal with women, just no serious things now?" Ranma nods. "Well, good luck. Considering your life, that might be hard. Hey, is someone calling you?"   
  
Ranma listens. "Yeah, think so. Time to wake up."   
  
~*~Real world~*~  
  
A figure walks over to the gates of Furinkan. The person is a short guy in a school uniform, with a bandoleer of spatulas on his shoulder, and a large one on his back. He takes a step forward. "Ranma Saotome!" he yells in a voice higher than one would expect from a guy. "I demand that you face me in a duel of honor!"   
  
Ranma sits up groggily. Ketsurui walks over to him and taps him on the shoulder. "Someone is challenging you to a duel of honor. Does this happen a lot?"   
  
Ranma shrugs. "More than you know. Where is he?" Ketsurui points out the window.   
  
"Ranma, I think it's not a he...." Ranma doesn't hear her. He puts his fingers to his forehead, and two rings rotate around him. Ketsurui is in shock as he disappears. "Wow! How did he do that?! Is everyone here this interesting?!"   
  
Outside, 2 seconds later, Ranma materialiazes about 4 feet off the ground. He falls into a heap. (Quit it. That damn trick just doesn't work. It's pointless to use if you can't control it.)   
  
(Shut up. Almost every technique can be controlled. I'll figure it out.) Ranma gets up and dusts himself off. The spatula guy walks over to him. He gives Ranma a once over.   
  
"Ahah! I knew it! Now you will pay for stealing my father's yattai!"   
  
"Huh? What yattai?"   
  
The guy starts crying. "You and your father ruined my life! You made me lose my honor."   
  
Ranma is sweatdropping. "Ummm, who are you again?"   
  
The guy gets mad and slams him into the ground with the spatula. "I'm Ukyo Kuonji, you jackass!"   
  
Ranma immediately gets up. "Ucchan?" He nods. Ranma goes over and gives the guy a bear hug, and then noogies him. "Ucchan, I haven't seen you in years. It's great to see you again....What the?" He feels something pressing against him, that a guy should not have. "Ucchan, are you a transexual?" (Vel, "What is that?") thinks Ranma.   
  
(Ummm, tell you later. Duck)   
  
(huh?) *slam!* The over sized spatula impacts on him again. "You jackass, does this look like it belongs to a guy?" 'He' rips off his shirt and reveal a chest restrained by bindings. Ranma gets a nosebleed and passes out.   
  
Ketsurui snorts. "I'm much better built than her." She walks out and sits down to watch.   
  
Ranma wakes up. "So, Ukyo, you're really a girl?" She nods. "Oh, that explains why you never took your shirt off."   
  
Ukyo has put her shirt back on. "That's the past. I challenge for my honor. Meet me in the gym at lunch." She stalks off.   
  
Ketsurui walks out. "Well, are you really gonna fight her?" Ranma nods grimly. "I personally think that you are being stupid."   
  
"What?!" yells Ranma.   
  
"You heard me. I don't think you're an idiot. That girl has no more desire to fight you than you do her."   
  
Ranma sighs. "So? I can't break my honor. I have to face this."   
  
Ketsurui nods. "Ok, but remember, fighting isn't the only way to do things." Ranma walks off to go think. Ketsurui looks around. "Alright, come out. I know you're there."   
  
*sound of clapping* "Well done. I expected nothing less from you." The speaker emerges from the tree branch he was sitting on.   
  
"Who are you?"   
  
"I'll give you three hints. One, I helped arrange a postion for you as TA at this school. Two, though we have not met, I know of your abilities. Three, I sent you a letter regarding the upcoming Kamikaze Budoukai."   
  
Ketsurui raises her eyebrow for a second. "You must be this 'Lord Kayin' that I was told to expect."   
  
"Correct, my lady. Though I did not expect you to be intelligent." Ketsurui smiles. "Though, your abilities lack control and experience." Ketsurui frowns, and walks over to him. She hits him on the head, only to have her strike intercepted and to be thrown backwards. "Do not seek a battle with me. You might be able to defeat Ranma, but you have no chance against me." He adjusts his straw hat. "Still, you have great potential. It might take some practice, but you could be quite formidable. I look forward to seeing your skills, and to this battle between Ranma and Ukyo. Jaane (see ya)." He leaps up very high and disappears.   
  
(Arrogant bastard. Still, he looks good. I'd love to see what he is like without that mask and hat.)   
  
~*~5 mins later, Furinkan's roof~*~  
  
Kayin is sipping some tea. Zu is meditating. "So, you'll deal with the annoyance, should it appear? says Kayin. Zu nods. "Good, because I have a itch to scratch."   
  
Zu's eyes open. "You don't usually fight directly. What's your beef with this one?"   
  
Kayin smirks, only this time, the smirk is a lot creepier. "Let's just say, I owe this one something special. If the senshi arrive, give them some sport, but do not annialate them. And for heaven's sake, do not fight Saturn! I have no intention of having this planet get blown up."   
  
Zu sighs. "Man, She's only what, 14 or so? She's not even old enough to hit on. I'm not worried."   
  
Kayin grabs Zu by the collar of his robe. "Be worried. She is the strongest of the senshi. Unskilled as they are, they can be dangerous. Saturn has been acting a little odd lately. Be careful of the glaive." He puts his hat on. "I'll be back later." Zu nods. "I'm gonna head to the ring that the spatula chick set up. Looks far out."   
  
~*~Furinkan Gym~*~  
  
Ranma is walking toward a ring shaped like a frying pan. (She had a point) says Velkaris.   
  
(Huh?) Vel sighs in Ranma's head.   
  
(This battle is meaningless. You have no reason to fight her. I suspect that whatever she believes you did, was really your dad's fault.)   
  
Ranma nods. (Yeah, but she isn't going to listen to me.)   
  
(Well, if she wants a fight, then show her what that would mean. Unleash your full aura, and make sure ordinary people can see it. If anything, it will buy some time.)   
  
Ranma looks up. (What the hell?) Inside the gym, is a large frying pan shaped ring. In the middle of it, stand Ukyo is a chef's outfit with her hair tied back with a white cloth. The big spatula is in her hands. She looks at Ranma with a sad look in her eyes. The look is quickly replaced by a steely expression. Ranma jumps into the ring. "I don't want to fight you Ucchan."   
  
Ukyo glares at him. "You have no choice! Your honor demands that you fight!"   
  
Ranma lowers his head for a moment. A angry look crosses his face for a moment, but it disappears rapidly. He raises his head, and upon his face is the same cold expression he used when he fought Akane. "You really think you can win?" He takes a stance. His aura springs up around him, distorting the area.   
  
Ukyo backs up a few steps. (What the?! This isn't my Ran-chan! This guy is scary and he feels weird!)   
  
Ranma sighs. "I don't want to fight you. How did we get engaged?"   
  
Ukyo gulps and clears her throat. "Your father stole my family's yattai! He promised me to you and the yattai was a dowry!"   
  
Ranma's aura fades, and his expression mellows. "Huh? You mean when I left, you weren't sad to see me go?"   
  
"Yes, but you and your dad stole my family's yattai and ran away without me!"   
  
(Flashback, 9 years ago)  
  
  
  
A eight year old Ranma is talking to Genma. "Now boy, which do you like more, okonomiyaki, or your friend Ukyo?"   
  
"Okonomiyaki!" Ranma chips. Genma picks him up and puts him on the yattai and carts it off. Ranma waves to Ukyo, who is running after them, yelling something.   
  
(End Flashback)  
  
"Awww, shit."   
  
"So, you see, you have to answer for your crimes against my honor."   
  
Ranma snorts. "Nope"   
  
The entire student body in the area facefaults. "My father has to answer, not me. He's the one who stole your yattai. I don't want to lose another friend, or fight one for a stupid reason." He jumps out to the side and starts walking away. Ukyo slumps down in shock.   
  
At that moment, a few booming voices are heard. "Where are the sailor senshi?!"   
  
Zu walks up, whistling. "Yo, Ranma, spatula chick" Ukyo glares at him. "Just came in to tell ya, sailor senshi are jamming with some monsters out there, I was wondering if you want to join me for a little relaxation?"   
  
Ranma grins and nods. Ukyo has a puzzled look on her face. "He means he wants us to help the senshi out. By the way, who are they?" A mass facefault ensues.   
  
"Well, you gotta see their outfits to believe it, but despite their pretty faces, they can pack a punch." Zu says with a strained smile. He walks out the door.   
  
~*~5 minutes earlier~*~  
  
A white haired man in a uniform with shoulder pads and a white cap stands on the roof of Furinkan high. A crystal ball is in his hands, the picture in it cannot be seen. "You know your orders, any deviation from the original scenario is to be reported as soon as possible."   
  
The man salutes. "Yes, Lord Velius."   
  
"Then, I leave the battle to you. Remember, do not disobey the first corollary to the plan, or you will suffer." The crystal turns dark. The man nods. (Do not engage Ranma Saotome in combat directly.)   
  
The man raises a card. "Come forth and do my bidding, Valkyrie sisters! I, Malachite, command it!" Three circles appear on the ground in front of the entrance. Three female monsters appear dressed in valkyrie armor, with the bottom half of their body being snake tails. They look around and see that the courtyard has mostly students.   
  
They look around and yell. "Where are the Sailor Senshi?!"   
  
"Enough" says Malachite. "Grab as much energy as possible and attack anyone except Ranma Saotome." They laugh in a scary fashion and proceed to attack the bystanders.   
  
A girl with a ponytail on the side of her head looks at the monsters and laughs in a disturbing fashion. "You call that a laugh? This is a laugh. Hohohohohohhoho!" The valkyries look over in the girl's direction. They blink for a few seconds, and then with an angry roar, charge at her. The girl blinks and leaps up, discarding her uniform for a leotard. She twirls a ribbon at the monsters. The ribbon slices through the tail of one. The monster roars in pain and shoots an energy blast at the girl. She takes a direct hit and starts falling toward a spiked fence. A reddish blur grabs her. Ranma runs over behind the ugly statue. He puts the girl down. He lightly slaps her awake. She stirs.   
  
"You saved my life, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"   
  
Ranma shrugs. "Ranma Saotome. You are pretty reckless to fight those things yourself, miss...?"   
  
The girl gets up. "Kuno. Kodachi Kuno. The black rose of St. Hebereke school for girls. We shall meet again, Ranma-sama." She tosses a rose at him and disappears in a shower of black rose petals. Ranma picks up the black rose. *Pssssssh* A gas is emited from the bud.   
  
"Aw crap" He passes out. The monsters sweatdrop, and proceed to wreck havoc while ignoring his unconscious form.   
  
Zu sees him fall. "Damn, now I have to save him first."   
  
Suddenly a beam of energy impacts the ground near the monsters. The smoke starts clearing. "Schools are for learning and socializing, not for violence. In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!" A girl with blonde odango hair in a very short fuku jumps out and strikes a pose. "Sailor Moon!"   
  
A girl in a red fuku with long black hair jumps out. "Sailor Mars!"   
  
Three more girls in fukus jump out. "Sailor Jupiter! Sailor Mercury! Sailor Venus!" they each yell out. "We are the inner Sailor senshi, in the name of the moon kingdom, we shall punish you!" Ranma, still unconscious on the ground, involuntarily winced upon hearing that.   
  
*Wolf whistle* "Helloooo, ladies!" Zu walks out and immediately pinches his nose upon seeing their outfits. He wipes a trace of blood on the ground. "Damn, only hookers are more forward than this."   
  
The senshi do a massive facefault. "Hookers!? What?! I'll kill him! *Stunned silence* Wahhhh, I'm not a hooker!" yell Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Moon, in that order.   
  
Zu waves his hands around. "Woah, woah, I was just calling a spade a spade. You do look like hookers. I never said you were, though." The senshi mellow out a bit, but continue to glare at him. He looks over the monsters. "Hmm, I've seen worse. So, can I jam here?"   
  
"Huh?" goes Usagi.   
  
Zu sighs. "I'm going to fight them myself, are you ok with that? (Morons)"   
  
The senshi blink. "I'm sorry, mister...?"   
  
"Zu. Zu Zhuisen. Shaolin Buddhist monk."   
  
Usagi nods. "Ok, Mr. Zhuisen. These are youma. Since they are youma, we must ask you to stand aside and let us handle this."   
  
"Sorry, babe, but I have orders to stop them." he says while smiling.   
  
"Orders?"   
  
He nods. "Buddha commands that evil must be halted anywhere, and these youma are attacking people. Now stand back." He slams his staff into the ground. He then tosses away his outer robes. His bare chest starts changing. An aura surrounds him. "The strength of Buddha subdues all evil!" He makes a ward gesture. "The big dipper falls!" He shoots a ki blast at one of the youma. Th blast seems to spin and slams into the valkyrie sister on the right. She shrieks and desintegrates. He picks up his staff and leaps into the air. "Heavenly pillar descent!" He slams the staff down on the monster's head. It falls down. "You can finish this one off. I'll get the last one." He walks over to the final monster, his aura fading.   
  
The senshi are dumbstruck. The monster stirs. Makoto notices it. "Sparkling wide pressure!" A ball of lightning slams into the monster.   
  
"Mars Flame sniper!" yell Rei, shooting a firey arrow at the monster. It dies quickly. The last monster is sweating bullets. It suddenly springs up and coils it's snake half around Zu. Zu throws his staff aside.   
  
The monsters starts constricting around him. "Hahahahah! After I avenge my sisters, I'll kill the wabbit!" (A/n: Looney tunes joke. Usagi means rabbit in japanese). "My sisters, lend me your power!" The ethereal forms of the two other monsters go into her. She gets a bit bigger and develops spines on her tail. "Die, damned monk!"   
  
"Ha ha ha ha!" The senshi were moving to try and save him, but they stop upon hearing his voice. "Thanks for the help girls, but I can finish this." He starts glowing. His face becomes strained. The youma is looking at him with a quizzical expression. She shakes her head and starts crushing his ribs. His skin starts looking grayish, his already large muscles start getting even bigger. His transformation completes, leaving him with a stone appearence. (A/n: think Tessai from Ninja Scroll). His rocky face grins. He flexs his arms. The youma screams in pain as her tail bone breaks. "Get down, get down" sings Zu. He snaps his fingers. "Jungle boogie, Jungle Boogie." He grabs the tail of the monster and starts swinging it around. He throws it into the air. He then leaps into the air and knocks it down again. The monsters slams into the ground, only to shriek again when Zu shoulder slams into it. "Feel the funk yo." He pulls out a ward from his pants. "All things go to the dust, may buddha's mercy save you in your next life." He pins the ward and starts chanting. The life energy of the drained victims start flowing out back to it's original owners. "Boogie, get down boogie boogie." The monster desintegrates. "So, do I got the funk, or what?" The senshi are dumbstruck.  
  
~*~Back on the roof, just before Zu started fighting....~*~  
  
Malachite is smiling at the monk's speech. (Fool, these youma will tear you apart.) His eyes go wide as Zu dispatches one of the youma easily. "Damn, I must retreat and get more troops."   
  
" This time, you'll answer for your crimes, traitor!" yells out a voice. Malachite barely dodges a vaccum blade. A ward hits the spot where he was. "I had Zu prepare that ward. It prevents you from escaping. Now, I'll take your head to avenge the honor of Queen Serenity!" Kayin steps out.   
  
"Who are you? I am Malachite, general of the negaverse, warrior extraordi....." Another vacuum blade hit near him.   
  
"Silence! I know who you are! I'm the man you framed for your treason!" Malachite looks closely, and pales.   
  
"No...., you were killed at the massacre of Selene..."   
  
"You and that bitch Beryl couldn't even beat the senshi, what makes you think you can beat me? You may have killed two of our number, but today I restore my honor and theirs!"   
  
Malachite draws a sword. He snaps his fingers. "What do you want as your dierge?"   
  
"Liberi Fatali." The music starts. Kayin draws his blade. They hold still, in a deadly silence. At an unspoken signal, they charge forward. They clash blades, and jump back. Malachite smiles, until he sees a cut on his sleeve. Kayin's face portrays a grim satisfaction. "You never were as good as me, and I see you rely too much on power and magic, no skill." Kayin leaps up and brings his sword down in an arc slice. Malachite desperately blocks. He repels the attack, but he is visibly weakened by it.   
  
Sailor Pluto with two other senshi behind her, jump over. "Malachite! I thought we finished you off!"   
  
A senshi with short blonde hair runs forward with a sword. "Forget it pluto! We'll just finish the job now!" *smash* Kayin smashes his elbow into her stomach and throws her into the aqua haired senshi, knocking them both into a wall.   
  
"Stay out of this, bitch! This one is mine!" He presses the assault on Malachite. "I owe friends a debt of honor. I must repay it with his blood." Pluto raises her staff to prepare an attack. "Pluto, this battle is in the name of Queen Serenity. I command you in her name to let me finish it my way!"   
  
Pluto stops, shaking a bit. (He's... one of the people from my vision. I know this man.)   
  
Kayin sheathes his blade. "Come on, Malachite! I'll send you to your lover Zoicite!" Malachite roars in anger and charges him. Kayin waits until the last possible moment. "Two headed dragon strike." He blocks the blade with his scabbard, catching malachite lightly in the stomach. He then draws his sword in a swift motion, knocking the sword from the general's grasp. He finally runs the blade through Malachite's heart. "One final question, before I send you to hell. Who revived you?"   
  
Malachite struggles to try and stand, blood dripping out his mouth. "JJJJ....join the bitch Serenity in hell! He shoots a blast at Pluto. Kayin disappears for a moment. He reappears blocking the attack with his blade. The attack rebounds and knocks Malachite off the roof and onto the grounds. The music begins to die down.   
  
Kayin floats down. "Descend to the abyss, traitor, and know that your treachery has failed. The senshi move forward to try and blast Malachite who is struggling to stand with his broken legs. *Shhhhhk* A whistling sound is heard. Malachite tips forward, his severed head coming to rest at Usagi's feet.   
  
"Ahhhhh! Get it away! Get it away!" screams Usagi as she hides behind the other Senshi. Kayin breaths out in a relaxed way. He smells the blood on his blade, then wipes it off with Malachite's cape. He sheathes his sword. He then walks over to the head and picks it up. "Thanks for stopping him from rolling away.This has been a good day, princess. Tell Pluto I'll be at the club Sesshouku if she wants answers. Until we meet again, Princess Serena."   
  
Ranma starts to regain consciousness. "Ugh, what hit me?" Pluto sees him and does a double take. (It can't be.) she thinks.   
  
She walks over to the other senshi. "Princess, I need to borrow the ginsuizou for a moment." (A/n: silver millenium crystal.) Usagi nods and hands it over. Pluto looks at Ranma through the crystal. The image is fuzzy. She focuses more power. A strange picture emerges. Ranma appears to overlap with a girl and a tall guy with wild hair. The image disappears.   
  
Ranma looks at them. He gets a nosebleed, but remains conscious. He goes wide-eyed at Zu's appearence. He gets into a stance. "Hold up, Ranma. It's the monk guy," says Ryouga. Ranma relaxes.   
  
"How did he.....?"   
  
"Zu can control the earth around him. As such, he can take on a golem form." says Kayin.   
  
Ranma notices the bundle in his hand. "What's in the bag?"   
  
Zu shakes his head. "Trust me, man, you don't want to know." Minako and Rei look over at the group. They immediately get hearts in their eyes when they see Ryouga.   
  
"Huh?" goes Ryouga.   
  
"Mine! Be my boyfriend!" They leap at him in a flying glomp. Ryouga sidesteps. They fall on the ground. They fall on the ground. Rei and Minako finally notice each other. "Hey! I saw him first! yells Rei.   
  
"So what?! I'm the senshi of love and beauty! I get priority!" Minako pulls a chain. "Venus love me chain!" She throws it at Ryouga.   
  
"Help!" yells Ryouga as he gets snagged. Ketsurui is laughing her ass off at the whole thing, Kayin is smirking, Zu is putting his robe back on, and Ranma is sighing.   
  
(Well, it seems we missed something interesting. Next time that Kodachi girl does something, dodge it.) thinks Vel.   
  
(Vel, I made a decision. I'm sick of taking orders from my old man. I want to be able to choose my life. I'll challenge him and Akane at that Tournament. Then, maybe I'll try and find my mother.) thinks Ranma.   
  
~*~???? 1 hour after the battle ~*~  
  
Velius is before the throne again. "It would seem, that Malachite, even with your power boost is still a failure." Velius sighs (or the nearest equivalent for a skull).   
  
"I did not expect him to succeed, certainly not against my best student. Still, the exercise was not without merit. We now know an approximation of the senshi's powers and some of the knights."   
  
"The Senshi are irrelevant. The knights were always the greater power and threat. Is my rival at a sufficient level to provide me with some entertainment?"   
  
The lights in Velius's eyes dim for a moment. They relight. "Perhaps not your full strength, but at half power, or less, he might prove tenacious."   
  
"Hahahaha! Very well then. I go myself to see how far he has come. Velius, inform the troops and the rest of my generals. We make our grand entrance at the closure of the tournament."   
  
"Yes, my master."   
  
Closing notes: Not bad, huh folks? Well, for those of you who are wondering when this bad bunch is going to show up, relax. I think I've kept you in the dark long enough. They will be making their appearence soon. The senshi are a part of the story, but not as much as the Ocs, Ranma and Vel. Expect more craziness and fighting. Next time on Ranma: Legends: "The tournament for Ranma's heart." Kudos to my editor Ketsurui, for all the help she has given so far. Props to my reviewers. And of course, my pre-readers, Boo, Crys, Reiko, and Omega X. 


	4. Legend 4: A Day of Tension And Relaxati

Chapter. 4: A day of tension and relaxation  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Juuban, Hino Shrine~*~  
  
  
  
The Sailor Senshi are having a meeting. Usagi is stealing manga from Rei, Ami is doing homework, Makoto and Minako are talking about the hot guys from Furinkan, Hotaru is taking a nap, and Haruka and Michiru are grumbling because of their injuries. "Give me back my manga, meatball head!" yells Rei.   
  
"Wahhhh! Rei is being mean!" whines Usagi. Yep, this is a typical meeting.   
  
"Ahem," says a voice behind them. Usagi jumps up.   
  
"Wahhh! Setsuna! Don't do that!"   
  
Setsuna's poker face betrays nothing. "Shall we begin?" The senshi quiet down and listen. "Ami, please show us the data you scanned from the people involved in yesterday's incident." Ami pulls out the mercury computer. They crowd around her. Setsuna sighs. "Can you project it onto a screen so we call see?"   
  
Ami checks. "Does anyone have an a/c adapter?" The senshi (minus Setsuna) all facefault. Five minutes later, Makoto is acting as a power conductor, while holding some wire.   
  
"Alright, show us the monsters." The valkyrie sisters appear on the screen.  
  
"This is fairly odd, these monsters are stronger than they should be. They also seem to be copies of the ones used by Beryl." says Ami.   
  
"Next" Zu appears, human form next to golem form.   
  
"Despite his appearance, he is actually human. He has usual energy, but it is not demonic or negaverse in origin. He seems to be able to use earth as a weapon, in addition to wards."   
  
Rei snorts. "Big deal, I can use wards. It just proves he's no demon."   
  
Ami raises an eyebrow. "His wards are at least six times stronger than yours."   
  
"Get on with it, Ami" grumbles Makoto. Ryouga appears.   
  
"I couldn't get a good scan, due to the interference from Rei and Minako's attacks." The two senshi look downcast. Ranma is next up on the projection. "This one was odd. I couldn't lock onto him at all. Setsuna?"   
  
"I tried using the Ginzuisou (Silver millenium crystal) on him. I have the feeling I know him. Artemis, Luna, is he a member of the imperial court?"   
  
The cats shake their heads. "I know he was not a member of the court, but I get the feeling he was important." says Artemis.   
  
Luna nods. "I do not trust him, but I do not believe that he is evil. I sense power within him."   
  
"Of course he's not evil and neither is the bandanna boy!" yells Minako. They all look at her. "Anyone that gorgeous can't be evil!" Another facefault occurs.   
  
The screen shifts to Malachite. "This didn't make any sense. It looks and probably acted like Malachite, but he seemed to be off. His power also was much higher than Malachite's last levels."   
  
"Show them the last picture." Kayin appears, his face covered by his hat and mask.   
  
"He seemed to know I was scanning him. I got readings indicating that my scan was being bounced off him. Setsuna, do you know him?"   
  
Setsuna sighs. "I think I did know him, but one thing is for sure. He is far too powerful for us to defeat one on one."   
  
"Bullshit!" yells Haruka, "I could knock him down easy!"   
  
"Ami, play the recording of the fight that my garnet orb recorded from the time gates" The fight is shown on the screen, from the point of Kayin's arrival. Haruka winces as the footage shows her and Michiru getting tossed aside. Finally the footage ends after Malachite's head falls off. The senshi are eerily silent.  
  
"Setsuna mama?" asks Hotaru.   
  
"Yes, Hotaru?"   
  
"What is Selene?"   
  
"It was the name of the capitol city of the moon kingdom, the palace of selene was at the center of the city."   
  
Minako blinks. "Wasn't that the place that Beryl and Metallia sacked?"   
  
Setsuna's eyes widen. "My god, I was the only one to survive that battle. If he knows about that, he must be an agent of Beryl or someone from the moon kingdom who was revived. Also, how did he know that Usagi was the Princess?"   
  
Minako blinks, then looks at Setsuna. "Oh yeah, he said for you to call him if you wanted answers. He seemed to know your name too."   
  
Rei looks at the blond. "You mean he said that yesterday and you just told us today?" Minako nods, in the ignorant way that only blonds can do.   
  
Just before Rei can put the smackdown on Minako, a midi version of Real Emotion by Kumi Koda is heard. Setsuna answers her cell. "Hello. Meioh Setsuna speaking." "Ahh, miss Meiou, or do you prefer Sailor Pluto?" Setsuna tenses up. "I would have guessed that you were going to call me, until I realized that I forgot to give my number. My apologies."   
  
Setsuna's look turns cold. "What do you want?"   
  
"The very thing that I said I wanted to begin with." Setsuna hooks up her phone to the speaker on the mercury computer. "To get you in bed." Setsuna pulls out her time staff and starts preparing an attack. "Just kidding. Seriously, I want to talk to you. I merely offer to buy you lunch and talk. No weapons, no monsters, just you and me, Ok?"   
  
Setsuna creases her brow for a moment. "Agreed. Where and when shall we meet?"   
  
"Hmm, it's about 10:30am, shall we say, 3:00?"   
  
"Agreed."   
  
"I just called the club Sesshouku in Shibuya. A table was reserved for us. I will be there as promised." The other line hangs up.   
  
Haruka snickers. "I never thought I'd see the day when someone would get under your skin, Setsuna."  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~A random rooftop in Nerima~*~  
  
  
  
Kayin hangs up his cell phone and puts it away in a sleeve of his hakama. "Still don't have a sense of humor? For an old lady, you should lighten up." He jumps off the side of the building, only to float down slowly the last few feet. He starts whistling the theme to Yojimbo. He walks through a marketplace. After spotting a outdoor grill, he buys some yakitori. *Sniff* "Hmmm?" He hastily finishes his lunch, walks to a nearby park, and disappears from view. "Alright, if you have a death wish, then I'll be glad to oblige you." Ketsurui walks out by the side of the lake. "You. Why are you following me?" says Kayin, after exiting the tree he was hiding in.   
  
"I need to see something for myself. Please take off your hat." Kayin shrugs and undoes cord on his chin. The straw hat falls to the ground. His face is completely covered on the left side by his fox mask. The uncovered side reveals a pale, thin face, with silver hair. She looks at him with shock written on her face. Kayin's eye goes wide as she run up to him and grips him in a tight hug. He shrugs and hugs her back. "I never believed I'd actually find you."   
  
Kayin blinks. "Wait a moment, you remember me? And why are you crying?" She nods with tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad to have found you. You saved my life several times." Kayin closes his eye.   
  
  
  
  
  
(Flashback, San Francisco, 10 years ago)  
  
  
  
A lime-haired girl, about 9 years old, is skipping along in Golden Gate park. Two men are watching her with smiles on their faces. "Yuki," says a tall black haired man to his platinum blonde companion.   
  
"Yes, Genko?"   
  
"I'm glad our daughter is having fun now. It's good for a child to get time to be themselves." Yuki smiles and leans into Genko. "Anything you say, anata."   
  
"By the way, isn't this Lord Kayin supposed to arrive today?"   
  
Genko nods, while stroking his companion's hair. "Yes, he's an old friend of our Ichigami clan. I don't know much about him. He's supposed to recoqnizable by a fox mask." Suddenly a group of thugs with masks on run out and snatch the girl up.   
  
"Daddy!" she screams.   
  
"Ketsurui!!" yells Genko rushing at her. One of the thug notices him and does a roundhouse kick taking him down. Yuki draws a knife and nails one of the thugs in the arm. "You base thugs! How dare you steal our daughter!"   
  
"A present from Mr. Takamiya for interfering with our business." A gun shot rings out and nails Yuki in the knee. One of the thugs blackjacks him from behind.   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~An abandoned warehouse in a seedy part of town~*~  
  
  
  
Ketsurui blinks as she regains consciousness. An old man with a fading hairline and a lecherous grin is looking at her in a strange way. "Where are my daddys?" she asks.   
  
The old man grins in a sadistic way. "They left you all alone with me. They didn't want to help me do my business, so I decided to have you suffer for their bad judgement." The rest of the guys in business suits and various thug outfits are crowded around her.   
  
"You're that bad man Mr. Takamiya!" The old man grins again and the crowd chuckles a bit.   
  
"Correct, little girl. What did your parents tell you about the big bad Mr. Takamiya?"   
  
"They said you were a bad man, and that you hurt little kids! Daddy Genko and daddy Yuki will come save me and you'll be sorry!" The old man motions to the men beside her. They hold her arms and legs down.   
  
"Now then, my pretty little thing, I'm going to show you a new game for grownups, and show you how much fun it can be." He starts tearing her sundress apart.   
  
"No! Leave me alone! Daddy! Help me!" He hit her on the side of the head and she starts to go unconscious. A enraged howl is heard. A whirlwind bursts the door apart and snatches up the girl. Ketsurui blinks a bit and barely manages to see a hakama and haori clad silver haired figure putting her down.   
  
"Rest here, little one. This is not for your eyes." The figure walks to the room. "You are a disgusting and sick creature with no right to exist. I sentence to death in the name of the shadow, the chaos, and the infinite." He draws his blade. The others draw their guns. The samurai smirks. He slashes 3 times and each time, strange kanji appear. He picks up his scabbard. He puts the sword in slowly. Just before he puts the last bit in, he looks up. "Zantetsuken." He clicks the blade in. At that instant the eyes of the boss go wide as a horizontal cut appears under his nose. It lenghtens until the top half of his head falls down. The rest of his men start seeing cuts appear on them. 1 minute later, all of them are lying in pieces on the floor, their collective blood forming a large pool. "May you die as many deaths as the lives you ruined." He walks over to the girl. "Wait a moment...." He pulls out a letter, and scans it rapidly. He then looks at her and compares her to a picture of Genko, Yuki and her. "Megami...., It can't be." He grabs a large trench coat from a closet and wraps her in it. "Thank god I got here in time. Well, little Ketsu-chan, this is a most unusual way to meet. Hopefully, your parents can explain it."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~Ichigami estate~*~  
  
  
  
Genko is pacing frantically. "What are our men doing?! Our daughter is god knows where, and worse in the hands of the most notorious pedophiliac in San Francisco!!"   
  
Yuki walks up and slaps him. "Genko! I'm just as upset! She's my daughter too! I want to go out and start scouring the streets myself, and I have to sit here!" He starts crying and Genko holds him. "I'll never forgive myself if he hurts her."   
  
Genko nods grimly. "I know, anata, I know." The doorbell sounds. Genko walks to it. A silver haired samurai with a fox mask is standing with a large bundle cradled in his arms. He lifts a part of the coat, and reveals a sleeping Ketsurui. Genko runs and pulls Yuki to the door. "My baby!" crys out Yuki who takes the offered girl and carries her upstairs.   
  
"Genko Ichigami?" says the samurai.   
  
"Yes? How can I repay you for saving my daughter? Did anyone touch her?!"   
  
The samurai puts a hand up. "Rest assured, I arrived before anyone did anything more than rip her dress. As to why, part of my promise. I am Lord Kayin."   
  
Genko bows deeply. "My family once more owes you a great debt."   
  
Kayin removes his hat. "Let's talk more over some tea. I ran most of the way here." Genko nods and ushers him in.   
  
Yuki comes down. "So, who is our mystery savior?"   
  
Genko pours 3 cups of tea. "The old friend of the family I mentioned. It seems that he saved her and found out her identity afterwards."   
  
Yuki sighs. "I cannot begin to tell you how worried we were about her."   
  
"The pig got what he deserved. I received your letter and made my way here. When I arrived, I got a message from my subordinates. They informed me about Mr. Takamiya and his operations."   
  
Genko gives him a cold look. "How do you know about Mr. Takamiya?"   
  
Kayin takes a sip before answering. "I have numeous underworld connections. Through them, I seek to keep certain aspects of their business under control. I may not touch firearms and most contraband, but I do not tolerate prostitution and drugs." He sets the cup down. "Takamiya was a rogue. He was due to be eliminated soon. The oyabuns, with my nudging, decided that a sick pedophile like him, should be destroyed. I rescued your daughter, because I heard someone in danger. Afterwards, I figured out her identity and that of her attackers. They will never harm you again. My associates will see to it."   
  
Yuki leans into Genko's shoulder. "How can we ever repay you?"   
  
Kayin looks up. "Just answer a few questions, and listen to one favor. First, who is or perhaps was her mother?"   
  
Yuki looks at Genko with a sad look. "Do you want to tell him, or should I?" The black haired man nods.   
  
"I'll let you tell it."   
  
"Ketsurui's mother was my sister Dina. She was married to Genko for 5 years."   
  
"I'm actually bi, as is Yuki." says Genko.   
  
"Anyway" continues Yuki. "She was never in great health. She had complications during the delivery and died. Genko was heart broken." Genko looks at Yuki with affection.   
  
"A few days later, Yuki came in and said that in honor of his sister, he would try and help raise her. I told him that I was grateful." Yuki blushes a bit. "Well things got interesting, and shortly after that, we set up a domestic partnership. Ketsurui's life was great, until today." They both look down.   
  
"Second question. How did you two get involved with Takamiya?"   
  
Genko looks up with a hard look in his eyes. "We found out just what kind of business he was doing here. He was using his company buildings for smuggling child prostitutes and shipping other children to Asia." Kayin grips the hilt of his blade very hard. "We busted most of his operations, but he went underground and escaped Interpol. He decided to take revenge by trying to...., to...., oh god I can't even think of it." Yuki collapses into Genko's shoulder, crying.   
  
Kayin sighs. "I'm sorry that we must meet under such trying circumstances. And now for my favor. I wish to request the services of your group and enlist a certain person later on." They both nod. "I want Ketsurui to help me with something when she is older."   
  
Genko does a double take. "What the hell?"   
  
"I saw something in her, that most people would do great evil to attain or control. Tell me, does she seem to be able to do things with water and have an affinity for it?"   
  
Yuki looks at him in shock. "How did you know about that?"   
  
Kayin smirks. "I can see things that most other people are blind to."   
  
Genko stands up. "You look only about 30ish, but you have an aura about you that speaks of someone far older. You also have a voice of considerable experience with the darker side of people. How old are you?"   
  
Kayin's eye glows. "I am many times your senior, that is all I will say. Believe me, you do not want to know the truth about me. As for Ketsurui, when she arrives in Japan, if I do not believe that she is ready, I will send her back to San Francisco."   
  
Genko and Yuki look at each other. "Do we have your word on that?"   
  
Kayin draws his blade and holds it up. "I swear in the name of my master who has since passed on, that I will send her back if I deem that she cannot help me or that she is unable to protect herself adequately." He sheathes the blade. "I thank you for this." He picks up his hat and goes to the door. "I have some business to deal with, so I may not see you again for a while. Don't let Ketsurui look for me. I fear that she would put herself in danger."   
  
Yuki nods. "Can I at least tell her who saved her?"   
  
"Tell her, that a guardian angel saved her, and that she will meet him one day, if she is strong enough. Goodbye for now." Kayin opens the door and starts walking.   
  
Ketsurui walks out to the stairs, wrapped in pajamas and a blanket. "No, please wait!" She runs out to try and catch him. He turns around she catches a glimpse of his face. She runs after him, but when she turns the corner to catch him, he is nowhere to be seen. She starts crying.   
  
Yuki picks her up and cradles her. "There there, He'll be back one day."   
  
"Really, daddy?"   
  
Genko walks out and smiles. "He's your guardian angel. He said that you have to be strong, and that if you are strong enough, you will meet him soon."   
  
  
  
  
  
(End flashback, Back at the park)  
  
  
  
Kayin opens his eye and smiles. "I see that you have grown up into a wonderful young woman. I told you I would keep my promise." She grips him tightly. "However, your fathers may not have told you something else." He puts his hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to test your skills. If you aren't strong enough, then I must send you away, to protect you."   
  
She looks at him with sadness in her eyes. "How can you be so cruel?!"   
  
Kayin lowers his head. "Your fathers made me promise it, and I did so gladly. I will not lose another friend or family." He jumps back and draws his blade assuming a jodan stance (A/n: overhead strike).   
  
She pulls out her scythe. "One moment. Adjust your blade. Make it so the cutting edge is blunted, you should be able to do that." His blade shines and changes. "I have no desire to hurt you, and this will make it easier on you." Her scythe glows and she walks to her boombox and hooks up an ipod. She takes up a stance. Cosmic Dare (Pretty with a Pistol) starts playing. Ketsurui rushes him. Kayin seems to fade from sight. Several afterimages seem to move in a circle around her. On a hidden signal, they all rush her. She takes a guard stance and an aura surrounds her. They strike to within an inch, then suddenly are repeled. The afterimages fade, showing Kayin with a grin on his face. "Impressive. You reflected my ghost wind strike. What is that move?"   
  
She smiles. "Mirror stance." She jumps up and spins her scythe. Kayin looks quizzically at it. A water scythe moves at him. He sidesteps.   
  
"Ugh, what the hell?" The scythe had bashed hard into his side, turning to nail him. She slashes the scythe into the ground. A low rumble is heard.   
  
"Geyser Strike!" He blinks. A geyser erupts underneath him. Kayin starts dodging aqua scythes like crazy. He quickly puts his blade up in a cross guard and holds off the real scythe. Ketsurui seizes the opportunity and kicks him in the arm. He loses the guard, and gets nailed in the collar bone. He falls into the pond. She jumps back, her scythe reattaching to the hilt.   
  
"Heh heh heh. Impressive. I underestimated you. You passed the test. I will permit you to remain. Now, let us test your limits, so we can see how far you have to go." She advances to the water. Kayin puts his blade underwater.   
  
"Geyser..Ahhh!" *slash!* A lightning quick strike hits her in the stomach. She tries to recover.   
  
"10,000 lightning blades!" He starts striking at impossible speeds, sending vacuum blades and aqua blades at her.   
  
She falls back. "Uhhh, what was that?"   
  
"The first move was the Suo wave slicing stroke. The 2nd was the 10,000 lightning blades. Here is a spare kimono. Please put it on." She looks up and he is turned away. She then feels a draft, and notices that only her chest bindings and panties survived the attack.   
  
She smiles. "You know you want to look, even if it's just a peek." She gets dressed.  
  
"In answer to your suggestion, I do not have to open my eyes to see. However, I did not look in any way."   
  
They walk along the street. "Ahhhh! Leave me alone!"   
  
"Haha, look at the freak!" Kayin's face takes on a feral look.   
  
"You can have a few of them, their leader is mine." He runs to the source of the screams. A purple haired girl is being shoved and pushed around by a couple of gang members. "What ya gonna do freak? Call your dike mommy and daddy?" Kayin's face takes on a maniacal grin.   
  
"Nope. She's not going to do anything. But I believe I will."   
  
"Who the fuck said that?!" Kayin steps out.   
  
"You know, I'm feeling lucky. How about you punks? Do you feel lucky?" Ketsurui sashays up with her scythe draped on her shoulder.   
  
"I don't know, Kayin. I'm feeling lucky myself." The gang draws knives.   
  
"Knock out the samurai wanna be, and grab the girl, maybe we can have some fun later."   
  
Ketsuri's expression turns cold. "Kayin?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Save me some." Kayin sends a shockwave at the nearest thug. Ketsurui throws her scythe at another one. She jumps up and kicks at the head of the frightened thug, exposing her panties. Hotaru blushes at the brazenness of the attack. Kayin breaks the arm of the thug nearest Hotaru.   
  
"Get back, and wait till we're done." Hotaru runs off behind a nearby dumpster. The thugs groan in pain. "I'm going to let you off easy this time. However, if you bother this girl again, then I'll glad remove whatever part of your body bothered her. If you insult her, I'll remove your tongue, if you hit her, your hand. Get the point?" They nod dumbly. "Trust me, my companion here," He gestures at Ketsurui. "Would be more than willing to castrate you, especially for your earlier comments. In fact, start running." They scramble to their feet and run in terror. "You can come out now." Hotaru walks out. "Are you ok, little girl?" She nods. "What is your name?"   
  
"Hotaru Tomoe, Did you hurt them badly?" Kayin sheaths his blade.   
  
"Not really, mostly scared them."   
  
"You should have waited, I could have healed their injuries."   
  
Kayin raises an eyebrow. (Where have I seen her before?) "You can heal people?"   
  
She ducks her head down. "Yes...., that's why they call me freak. I'm not very strong, I get tired easily."  
  
Ketsurui kneels down. "Don't ever believe them. You're a very nice girl, they're just morons. Besides, I have powers too." Hotaru looks a bit skeptically at her. Ketsurui gestures at a nearby pool. A bubble of water raises up and forms a square. It changes to a triangle, then a rectangle. "Wow." Ketsurui gestures again and the bubble pops.   
  
"Come on, we're going to the club Sesshouku. You can rest there, and then I'll take you home. Hotaru nods and starts walking only to stumble and fall. Kayin drapes an arm over his shoulder. Ketsurui takes the other. They support her and walk down the street.  
  
  
  
  
  
(Club Sesshouku, 15 minutes later)  
  
  
  
Kayin and company walk in the front door. "Call Taishin for me." The waiter nods and walks off. Kazuro walks back in, this time in a blue suit.   
  
"Yes, Sir Kayin?"   
  
"Ahh, Taishin. I'm going to clean up a bit before my meeting with Meiou Setsuna. See that I'm not disturbed." He nods and walks off.   
  
Hotaru blinks. "You're a friend of Setsuna mama's?"   
  
Kayin looks quizzically at her. (Setsuna mama? Why would she say that.... wait a minute!) His eye closes for a second and he looks at her energy. (Damn it all! This kid is Saturn?! I was not expecting to deal with her.) "Hotaru, I have a shower and a bath upstairs, do you want to use them?" She shakes her head. "I'm going upstairs. If Setsuna comes in, tell her what happened and that I'll be down in a minute."   
  
*splash* Kayin rinses off the soap and steps into the tub. There is a metallic click as he removes something from his face. (It's coming together. Once this stupid tournament is over, I can finally take a vacation.)   
  
"Oh Kayin....." Kayin puts his mask back on as he turns around.   
  
"Ummm, what are you doing?"  
  
Ketsurui is standing at the edge of the tub, wearing nothing but a towel that barely seems to cover her body. "I just thought I'd give you a little show, since you didn't want to look earlier."   
  
Kayin turns away. "I'm not going look, so you might as well just wash up and sit down." She shrugs and discards the towel. The sounds of splashing and scrubbing are heard. Kayin flexes his ears. "I'll ask you to wait a moment." he says. A loud splash sounds near him. Ketsurui looks at him through the steam. His hair is hanging limply over part of his mask. His body appears to be lithe, but flexible and strong.   
  
Her eyes widen as she sees some scars on his torso. "How old are those?" Kayin looks up. For the first time, she sees his eye. It's a deep crimson color.   
  
"Scars of time should not be questioned, merely granted respect. However, your question is alright. I will give you an answer later." Ketsurui moves toward him, sashaying all the way, which does wonders for her hips and chest.   
  
She rubs his leg sensually. "Does this do anything for you?" she says while smiling. He glows for a moment. "Ouu, that tingled. What did you do?"   
  
Kayin smirks. "You've been teasing me quite a bit. Here is my payback. I electrified the water abit. As the water knight, you seem to be immune to the charge. However, you'll begin experiencing an interesting sensation in a moment. Have fun. I'll be outside. When you are finished meet me at the table Kazuro points out." He climbs out of the tub, and start walking to the changing area.   
  
"Woah, what a view." sighs Ketsurui. She sits back and relaxes. She opens her eyes. "Bastard. Oh well, he said have fun."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~5 minutes later~*~  
  
  
  
Ketsurui comes out in a metallic black kimono with lime green dragon outlines. She looks around. She sees Kazuro and taps him on the shoulder. He nods and points to a table in the middle. She takes a seat next to Hotaru. "Setsuna mama!" Hotaru cries out.   
  
"Hotaru?" Setsuna is there in a business woman's suit. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"I helped her out of a situation. Some student gang members were bullying her." says Kayin.   
  
Setsua nods. "I thank you for this. Hotaru, can you wait till I'm done? I'll take you home afterwards."   
  
Kayin holds up a hand. "I was hoping we could eat lunch first. I assure you, this is on the house." They order lunch. After a few minutes, Kayin puts his fork down. "Now, Setsuna, or should I say Sailor Pluto, shall we get down to business?" Setsuna blanches. She motions to draw her henshin stick. "I know who you are, and this is under a flag of truce. I'm not going to break it. If you fight, I'll see that you pay for damages. I'll fight after if you want." She relaxes. "I'm also aware of Sailor Saturn here. You should not have mentioned Setsuna, I would not have guessed otherwise." Hotaru's eyes go wide, then she too sits back. "Setsuna, you still don't recoqnize me?" Kayin reaches behind his ear. A metallic click is heard. "Ketsurui, you and Hotaru might want to look away." He removes his mask. A face with a large scar and a closed eye is beheld. He leans down and puts something on his face. "Now do you recoqnize me? I've been told I bear a striking resemblanse to another member of my family. His left eye is covered by an eyepatch.   
  
Setsuna gasps. "It can't be! You were exiled for treason! You should not be alive!"   
  
Kayin smirks. "Now, seeing as how we are both older than most of the cities here, how about you tell me what the senshi are doing?"   
  
Setsuna's expression hardens. "We beat Beryl and we can beat you."   
  
Kayin raises an eyebrow. "Beryl is dead? I thought so. Your subordinate said Malachite was killed once. I presumed that Metallia has also met her end?" Setsuna nods. "One less problem. So, what is the goal of the senshi, seeing as how the moon kingdom no longer reigns?"   
  
Setsuna smirks. "We plan to create a crystal tokyo and cleanse the evil from the world."   
  
Ketsurui raises an eyebrow. "How can you cleanse the evil from the world?" Kayin sips his tea.   
  
"By removing all the evil from people using the ginzuisou."   
  
Kayin spits out his tea. "Sorry about that. Did she just say ginzuisou?" Ketsurui nods. Kayin slams the cup down. "Damn you to hell Setsuna! You would create a future of mindless automatons!"   
  
Setsuna stands up and glares. "It is for the good of the people!"   
  
Kayin stares her down. "My brother would never have let you go through with this."   
  
She slaps him across the face. "It's your fault he died, traitor! I'm doing this to protect the people." Kayin's aura flares. "I am one who protects people. I hereby swear to break my oath to Queen Serenity and fight against you. As long as the senshi are dedicated to Crystal Tokyo, I will seek your defeat." He snaps his fingers. Taishin enters with a blonde woman in a maroon suit and vest. "Who is she?"   
  
"King, new head bouncer. She's a muay thai kickboxer, quite skilled too." The blonde takes a stance. "I suggest you leave now. I'd rather not mess the suit up."   
  
Setsuna takes Hotaru's hand. "Come Hotaru, this man is an enemy of the moon kingdom. We should leave." Hotaru nods glumly and follows Setsuna out. After they leave, Kayin hits his fist into his palm. "Ketsurui, I know the timing is bad, but will you?"   
  
She nods. "Kayin, even you had't saved me, you know I'd help you in a heartbeat."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~A hastily constructed stadium in the Nerima ward~*~  
  
  
  
"Boy! I refuse to allow you to disgrace the Saotome name so!" says Genma in panda form with one of his signs.   
  
"Then fight me. If you or Akane beat me, I'll give up and marry which ever daughter says ok. If I win, I get the right to desolve the engagement, including your engagement to Ucchan."   
  
Genma snorts and turns the sign. "Deal, boy. If Soun beats you, then you also agree to the engagement."   
  
Ranma turns to Soun. "Mr. Tendo, are you going to fight? I know you're getting back to your old levels."   
  
Soun looks at Ranma. "No, Ranma, I'm not going to fight. I know I can't win. Why are you breaking the engagement? I thought you were going to teach Akane the Saotome branch?"   
  
Ranma hits his palm with his fist. "Because, your lack of training has made that impossible. She won't listen to me. She gets too angry, she wastes energy, and she thinks that she is better than me."   
  
Soun hangs his head. "I'm sorry Ranma. I wish I had trained her better. Why not teach her those moves that I saw you use?"   
  
Ranma gets a cold look on his face. "I don't know that style well enough to teach it. And she is 1: too unskilled, and 2: has no control. She can't learn it, and even if I was able to teach it, she might seriously hurt someone or even kill them inadvertently."   
  
Happosai walks up. "So, my boy, you think she is unworthy of the art?"   
  
Ranma points at Soun. "Ask him, he's her dad. I'm going to sign up."   
  
Soun and Happosai walk away from the angry Genma. "Master, I don't know what to do. I can't fight her, she's my daughter. But if she can't hold her temper..."   
  
Happosai nods. "I can tell that she is not in a proper state of mind to be practicing the art. Perhaps she will recoqnize that she is not the best if she is humiliated publicly."   
  
Soun gasps. "Master, no. She could not bear it."   
  
Happosai blows a smoke ring. "Soun, before your wife died, you were the smarter of my two pupils. Afterwards, you just went along with Genma. You know that I am right. You just can't admit it, because you are her father."   
  
Kayin walks up. "I have an idea. How about a day at the beach for everyone? People around here are way too tense." He moves close to Happosai. "I'd like you to test Ranma and see just how good he is. I would prefer to know that in advance." He whispers.   
  
"Alright, but why?" Happi whispers back.   
  
"Simple. 1: Odds. My bookies would like to know. I need to know how much to fake on that. 2: We have yet to see him really go all out. 3: Ranma is trying to break the agreements that Genma made. And I'm sure you want to see if he's worthy to be your heir." Happosai nods contemplatively. "Did I mention the beautiful women in bikinis?"   
  
Happosai's eyes sparkle. "Pretty ladies, silky darlings! Don't worry my dears, Happosai is coming to save you!" He bounds off. Soun taps him on the shoulder.   
  
"You seem to know the master. May I ask who you are?"   
  
Kayin bows. "Kayin. Let's just say the midget and I go way back." Soun backs away. "Relax, he's out of earshot. Besides, he would just insult me back. A few insults will never break our friendship up."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~A few days later at the beach~*~  
  
  
  
"So, Ketsu, having fun?" Ketsurui nods and glomps Kayin.   
  
A hint of a blush appears on his face. "Errr..., No offense but could you not do that?" She smilies. "Why? Don't tell me you don't like it?"   
  
"That's not it, I just have to keep an eye on everyone else. I'll do something with you, but no glomping, ok?"   
  
She nods reluctantly. She smiles. "Alright, how about surfing?"   
  
Kayin blanches. "Well, you can, but I have a little problem with water...."   
  
She shakes her head. "That's alright, you just have to watch me." She blows a kiss and throws off the large t-shirt she was wearing. In a sultry fashion, she struts to her board, showing off her black string bikini, the metallic dragons on it moving with her. She breaks into a run toward the water. Ranma hears a large splash. He shrugs and goes back to griping about carrying everything.   
  
"Stupid pops, makes me do all the work."   
  
Genma holds up a sign. "Quiet boy! A true martial artist suffers for his art."   
  
Ranma groans. "Hey, Ryouga, little help? Pops is acting like a slave driver."  
  
Ryouga shrugs and takes a few of the items. "Ranma, you ever get the feeling that we're being watched and that something bad is about to happen?"   
  
"Way too often, man, way too often. Usually pops does something first."  
  
Over on a far side of the beach, behind an umbrella, the senshi sit watching them. "Tell me again why we have to watch this guy, cause the inners are complaining about not being able to go after guys." says Haruka with a shudder.   
  
Setsuna leans over to her. "Because, he's creating a lot of chaos in the time gates. Also, I think I know him."   
  
Usagi taps her on the shoulder. "Can we go have fun while you watch him?"   
  
Setsuna sighs. "Alright, but be ready to change if something happens."   
  
"Hey girls! Setsuna says party!" The inner senshi and Hotaru run off.   
  
Setsuna turns and glares at Haruka and Michiru. "And where are you two going?"   
  
They stop sneaking off. "We're going to umm...." mumbles Haruka.   
  
"Get a better vantage point." says Michiru with an elbow to Haruka's ribs.   
  
Zu and Happosai are lounging around at an outdoor beach cafe. "Ahh, this is the life. Waiter, another 3 rounds for my friend and I." The waiter nods and walks off. "Zu, take a look at this." Happosai pulls out a bag full of a pink powder.   
  
"What's this stuff?"   
  
"The Aphrodite powder. It causes the opposite sex to go nympho at the person who is hit by the powder."   
  
Zu's eyes bug out. "How much of it is in that bag?"   
  
Happosai grins. "More than enough. The effect time varies."   
  
"Well, Happi, I'm afraid I can't let you use that." Happosai dodges a staff blow.   
  
"Colgone chan, why are you denying an old man his last pleasures?"   
  
Cologne presses her attack. "I'm not going to let you use that powder again. You humiliated the amazons once by using that powder on us. I'm going to destroy it once and for all!" Happosai jumps onto Zu's head. Cologne aims a strike at Happi. She misses and nails Zu.   
  
"But Master, the women's panties are right here, why do we have to make them mad?" He passes out. Cologne gives chase to Happosai. Setsuna sits under the umbrella watching a game of beach volleyball. Ranma and Ryouga have turned it into a mostly two man contest. Ranma jumps high and spikes the ball. Ryouga dives and covers it. Soun jumps and.... Gently knocks over the net. Ranma facefaults as it hits the ground.   
  
"Cheap shot."   
  
Ryouga smiles. "We won. You have clean up now."   
  
Ranma groans. "If the lazy panda would'a covered it, we would have beat you."   
  
Genma holds up a sign. "Foolish boy! The way of the beach is fraught with peril!" Setsuna blinks at the sign. She then chuckles a bit at the sheer absurdity of that statement.   
  
"You know, Setsuna, he's a fairly nice guy, once you get to know him." Setsuna spins around pointing her time staff, at a grinning Kayin. Kayin, clad in a hawaiian shirt and bermuda shorts, sips a fruit drink. "Hey, don't you know? This is a no-magic beach. I'm not here to fight anyway."   
  
She retracts the staff. "Then why?"   
  
"Well, I think that Ranma would be a good person for you to make friends with. The outers are a little crazy, not counting Saturn." Setsuna looks to the sea sadly.   
  
"Why? Why did he have to die?"   
  
Kayin sits down next to her. "Life is unpredictable, and none of us know what's going on half the time. Even the time gates aren't 100% sure. I will tell you this. He's not Vel, but he is a lot like him. I think that he needs some friends. If you want to start something else, wait till the tournament ends." Kayin gets up and starts to walk away. "It's easy to find something worth dying for, have you anything worth living for?"   
  
Setsuna blinks. "He said that to me."   
  
"It's a family motto. Have fun and stop worrying about things that haven't happened." Setsuna lies back and goes to sleep for awhile. *Bonk* "Ow" She sits up and finds a beach ball next to her and a bump on her forehead. (I'm gonna give the owner a piece of my mind.) She gets up, only to see Ranma approaching her with a hand behind his head.   
  
"Have you seen a beach ball around here?" She stares at him for a second, then shakes her head abit while holding it. She then holds up the beach ball and points to her head.   
  
(Uh oh. You're on your own here, kid.) says Vel.   
  
Ranma puts a hand behind his head. "Sorry about that. Ryouga can't aim and we lost track of where it went."   
  
Setsuna sighs. "It's alright. My usual luck seems to be in force today." Ranma blinks. "Is there anything I can do to make this up to you?" Setsuna sits down. "You can talk to me for a minute. I don't know why, but you remind me of someone."   
  
Ranma sits down. He holds out a hand. "Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome school of Anything goes martial arts."   
  
"Setsuna Meiou." They chat about trivial things.   
  
(Why....? Why do I know her? She seems so familiar.... like a dream that fades in the morning but returns every night. I have to get the orb back. I must know why I did the things I did and who I was. ....What the hell is that?)   
  
Ranma turns to the sound of a battle cry. Happosai is being chased by Cologne, Shampoo, Ukyo, Akane, the senshi and various female beach goers. Zu groggily stands up. "Feels like I got whacked by a boulder... ouch." *turns to the side* "Damn..., you got this many mad at you, old man? That's gotta be a record."   
  
Ketsurui is carrying her board back. "Huh?" Kayin looks up from his drink. "Ketsu, it may be time to get out of the way." Ranma and Setsuna are sweatdropping.   
  
"How the hell did this happen?" Setsuna squints and looks at the small figure of Happi. "Wait a sec, that's the panty thief who stole my bras and panties. Wait for me, I want a piece of him too!" She joins the chase.   
  
Happi is sweating bullets. (Oh no. All the pretty ladies are angry. Some of them are quite strong too, I need a distraction... hey, that Ranma kid is there, I'll just use him.) He changes direction to Ranma.   
  
Ranma blinks. (Vel, are they coming this way?)   
  
(Looks like it. Start running, and don't get wet if you can help it.) Happosai jumps up in the air. Cologne grips her staff and throws it hard at him. *bonk* Happi is dazed for a moment. A small bag slips out of his grip. it falls into Ranma's hand. "Huh?"   
  
Cologne stops in her tracks. "Boy, give me the bag. It has caused much harm to the amazon people."   
  
"What is this powder?"   
  
Shampoo looks at him. "Powder is aphrodite powder. Very good love potion. Supposed to only work on women."   
  
Ranma shrugs. He holds the bag out. "Ok, here ya go."   
  
Happosai's battle aura rages. "I will not let you ruin my chances to get all the silky darlings! Happo Daikarin!" (Happo Fire bomb) Happosai throws a bunch of miniature bombs. They start exploding with surprising power.   
  
Ranma jumps up. (What's that in your other hand?) Ranma blinks and sees a bomb about to blow up in his other hand. *Boom!* Ranma flares a bit of his aura to protect himself from the blast. The powder starts crackling and it begins raining down on the people below.   
  
Kayin looks up. "Oh crap. Ketsu, get down!" He runs over to her and pushes her down. He whirls his hands to create a breeze. The powder drifts away from her.   
  
"Ahchoo! What the hell did Happi do this time?" Ketsu stands up. "Hey! Why did you push me?"   
  
Kayin sniffs around him. "Ketsu stay back! I have something on me that you don't want!" She stops. Ranma gets up from the hole in the ground where he hit.   
  
Zu is looking around nervously. "Man, we need to move. Happi's plan got torpedoed and we're in a tight spot."   
  
Ryouga sneezes. "What kind of powder is this? Ranma, what the hell did you do?"   
  
"Me? Happosai threw the bomb, don't push this one on me!" Ranma gets up from the hole in the ground.   
  
"You wanna fight man, let's do this here." Ryouga takes a stance.   
  
"Alright, let's rock this beach." A piercing whistle is heard. Ryouga covers his ears. "Ahhhhhhh!!!!"   
  
"You have greater concerns than your private duel, look around you!" Kayin yells to them. They stop yelling and look at the girls. The senshi, Ukyo, Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, and several beach going females are covered with the dust.   
  
"Hey, what is this?" says Akane. She pulls out a mallet. "Ranma, what did you...?" She stares at Ranma. (God, he's cute, why did I never notice before?)   
  
Minako and Rei sneeze. "Pluto, what is this stuff?" says Minako. (Mmmmm, that Ryouga looks like a nice hunk of beefcake, I'd love to see what he can do) She looks and sees Rei blushing. "Hey, let's not fight about this guy anymore. I'm sure he's studly enough for both of us," she says with a hentai grin.   
  
Rei stops blushing, and looks at Minako. "You're ok with sharing?"   
  
"Sure, if we fight, neither of us gets to enjoy him."   
  
Ryouga looks around. "Yo, Ranma. I think we better go. Right now." Ranma nods, and starts to slink off.   
  
"Hold it!" The senshi strike a pose. "Your manliness and virility has caught our attention, in the name of the moon, we shall take you for our pleasure!"   
  
Kayin sweatdrops. "Good god, Serenity is probably facefaulting in her grave right now."   
  
Ketsurui blinks. "Are they always like that?"   
  
"No, Happosai used an aphrodisiac powder on them. That's why I told you to stay back. I'm gonna jump in the water and get this off me. Get the nearby people away for one sec." He throws off his hawaiian shirt. He then sprints to the water and swan dives in. The water glows, with electricity flowing on the top of it. Kayin leaps out in a spin, landing next to Ketsurui. "Much better, the water is partially electrified now, you might want to warn anyone who goes near."   
  
Ketsurui has a slightly glazed expression on her face. He snaps his fingers near her. She blinks. "Did you say something?"   
  
Kayin sighs. "Try not to do that. I know I probably look good with my hair matted from the water and it cascading down me, but try to remain semi-coherent." She is grinning widely and conked out again. He puts a finger on her arm. *Zzzzap* A small static jolt revives her. "I need you to watch my back while I try to help Ranma and the others. Can you do that without conking out?"   
  
She nods. "Ok, but you have to model that suit for me later, deal?"   
  
Kayin facefaults. "Ok, ok, deal. I'll model it for you, but after we deal with this. Until then, no spacing out." She grins happily. He reaches behind his back and pulls out his sword. "Time to show the pretty soldiers, the true meaning of my nickname."   
  
"What nickname?"   
  
Kayin charges electricity around him. "The name given to me by my father. Electric Nightmare." He moves forward slowly like a wolf stalking it's prey.   
  
"Ranma, this is all your fault!"   
  
"My fault!? You're the one who picked a fight with me, while these crazy women surrounded us!" (You know, if you can knock down their numbers a bit, then just take your pick from the litter. Most of them might be fun for a quickie.)   
  
Ranma slaps his forehead hard. (Vel, If you don't tell me something useful, I'm going to start bashing my head on a rock repeatedly.)   
  
"You know, most guys would kill to be in this postion." Kayin strides up with his sword over his shoulder. "Then again, if you are too afraid to fight horny women, I can take a few off your back." He starts whistling 'Whistle of the Warrior' and reaches behind his back. He pulls out a second sword from nowhere. He takes a stance, his swords glinting in the sunlight. "Shall we dance the endless waltz of war again?"   
  
Ketsurui jumps next to him and draws her scythe. "Why should you get all the eye candy? I enjoy looking at some beefcake myself." She leers at Kayin. "Although, I wouldn't mind just looking at you."   
  
Kayin sweatdrops. "Could we deal with the nymphos, and then look at the eye candy?" She nods whilst smiling. Kayin rushes Ukyo. Ukyo blocks his strike with her spatula. Ketsurui jump kicks Minako. Minako collides with Rei, knocking the two of them down.   
  
Zu runs over to the group. "Ladies, prime beefcake right here! The great wall ain't the only big thing in China!" He flexes his muscles.   
  
Happosai bounds over and latches onto Ketsurui's chest. "Pretty lady!"   
  
Kayin starts chuckling. "Happi, you picked the wrong girl to glomp this time." He punches a heartstruck Akane into the ground. He shakes out his hand. "What the hell is her head made of?"   
  
Ketsurui looks down and sees the little perv on her chest. "What the hell is this?"   
  
"Pretty lady, can you give an old man one last thrill?" Happi grabs her nipples.   
  
Her expression darkens. "Get off me right now, or I'm going to hurt you." She grabs Happi's head and bashes him with the stick end of her scythe, then swings the blade an inch from his face. "If you're going to glomp me, you better be Kayin or have a death wish." She then nicks his cheek with the blade. "I'm not easy, and I sure as hell don't give cheap thrills to dirty little perverts!" Happi falls over, fainted dead away.   
  
Kayin whistles appreciatively. "Remind not to piss you anytime soon." He goes over to Happi and tosses him into the crowd of girls. "Have fun, lecher, and don't glomp her again, or next time she might castrate you." Happosai gives an involuntary shudder.   
  
Ranma and Ryouga continue to evade the nerima girls. "Kayin, you cheap bastard! Help us out!" yells Ryouga.   
  
Setsuna gets up from where she was hit to the side. "Ow, my head feels like a boulder is rolling around." She sees Zu enjoying the attentions of some of the senshi. *Sweatdrop* (Maybe, I should have stayed unconscious. I better help them, they'll thank me later.) Setsuna pull out her staff. "Dead scream." She shoots a blast at Zu. Zu jumps into the blast head on.   
  
"Hey, come on, let a brother have a little fun."   
  
Setsuna beans him on the head. "You're taking advantage of that powder's effect! You're as bad as that little letch!"   
  
"Oh, Setsuna...?" Haruka and Michiru appear looking very zoned out. "We thought about it, and we want to give your ice cold body a little passion to warm you up." Setsuna hangs her head and buries her head in her hand. "You've got to be kidding me...." They try to jump her, only to have Zu spin his staff and block them.   
  
"Ladies, care to make my pagoda rise?" he says with a lecherous grin.   
  
"Sorry big boy, we only like girls."   
  
Zu sighs. "This one said no. I can't let you force her."   
  
He grabs her hand. "I can't really hurt them, we should run. My silver haired maniac friend over there, should be able to get off our backs." She nods and runs with him. Kayin kicks off Nabiki, none too fiercely. (I can't hurt some of them, they aren't all martial artists.)   
  
"Hey, crazy fox! Help me out, man!" Zu says while running with Setsuna.   
  
"What did you do now?"   
  
Zu scratches his head. "These two lesbians wanted to jump her, I helped her out."   
  
Kayin chuckles. "I'm surprised, I would have thought you would enjoy the show. And you Setsuna, I guess I lose that bet."   
  
Setsuna glares. "What bet?"   
  
"I bet you were a lesbo, or at least bi." While he is talking, the group is surrounded. "Get close and jump at my signal." They close in toward him. He circles his blades. He then makes a cross cut at an upward diagonal angle. "Wind tunnel!" A hollow column of wind appears. "Go through it and move quickly! I'm going to use one of my big attacks!" The unaffected people run up the slope.   
  
Ketsurui shakes her head. "No way! I'm not letting you fight them yourself!"   
  
Kayin slashes the ground in front of her. "This is child play for me. I promise not to kill anyone this time. I've been holding back because of you and the others." She nods, runs to the tunnel, looks back, then goes into it. Kayin starts laughing maniacally. "I'm starting to feel it again. This is great. I haven't felt the joy of battle since Sekigahara. Come on, you crazy bitches. I'll show you how a true knight of chaos fights. He holds his arms wide. "Witness my power." He starts spinning. There is a flash. Lightning strikes his spinning form. "Nightmare Revolution!" A huge tornado starts engulfing them. *Slash, slash, slash* the sounds of striking blades is heard. A shadow can be seen darting among the various forms in the heart of the tornado. The clouds part as the great energy splits the sky apart. The tornado dies down. The senshi, nerima girls and various people start falling to the ground. No one is dead, unbelievably. In the center of the destruction, Kayin stands, breathing slightly heavily. He stands up. "Heheheheh...., Ahahahaahahah!" He laughs insanely for a few minutes. Then he sheathes his blades, the second one disappearing. He whistles for the others. "I told you, I'm the Electric Nightmare. A bunch of girls in skirts, some crazy martial artists, and a few lesbians can't stop me." He then falls back with swirly eyes. "Although..., That move took a bit out of me."   
  
Ketsurui walks over and pulls him onto her shoulder. "For once, I'm going to help you up." Zu grabs the other arm. He then lifts up Ranma with his other arm.   
  
"Dude, help your bud, I think he fell in the sand." Ranma runs over to Ryouga.   
  
"You ok?" *growl* Ranma turns white. "Ahhhhhh! Cat!!!" He then runs off. Ryouga, in were-tiger form, stands up and shakes off the sand.   
  
Rei and Minako wake up. "Wow, kawaii kitty!" they both say. Ryouga's jaw drops. He then runs in the same direction Ranma went.   
  
"Arghhhh! Leave me alone!! I hate catsssss!!!!" is heard in the distance.   
  
"Haaa...." With a rush of air, Kayin stands up. "Phew, now that was fun. I haven't let loose like that in a while. I may have to stop holding back so much."   
  
Ketsurui blinks. "You're kidding me, you're still holding back, after all that?"   
  
Kayin chuckles. "I'm far stronger than most of the people here. Happosai, and Cologne might be a match for me, if I fought hand to hand only. Ranma, he's far stronger than he thinks. He could beat me, with the right kind of training." He walks over to Elder Cologne and picks her and brushes off the sand. "My apologies, but I had to neutralize the powder and my attackers." Shampoo groggily stands up. She moves over to Kayin, and puckers her lips. Kayin grabs her neck. "Don't. I have no interest in becoming a slave male. I serve no master, save Malduke, god of chaos." He squeezes. "Now, Elder, tell her to withdraw the kiss, or I crush her windpipe."   
  
Cologne hesitates and then smiles. "You won't kill my grand-daughter, you're an honourable man and a samurai. She is no match for you."   
  
Kayin smiles predatorialy. "I never said I was a samurai. I'm a ronin. I also do not possess a code of honor that you would understand. It says that someone who is going to get in my way later, should be removed. I will not be taken like some animal for breeding. If necessary, I'll see your village drenched with blood. But, I will not let you ruin centurys of planning. Now choose, the life of your grand-daughter, or the destruction of your tribe?" He starts slowly squeezing. "Choose quickly, her time is short."   
  
Cologne slams her staff down. "Alright! I revoke the kiss. Just let her go." He releases her. She gasps for air.   
  
"I do not wish to be troubled about this thing again, are we clear?" Cologne nods grimly. "I have a favor to ask you. In return, I will give you a few techniques." Cologne sits down. "I want you to act as a judge for the Kamikaze Budoukai. I have need of seasoned veterans for the judging section."   
  
Cologne nods. "Alright, someone must look out for the young ones. Obviously if I act biased toward Shampoo, you will toss me out?"   
  
Kayin nods. "You catch on quickly. Your youthful appearance belies a great cunning." He picks his shirt up. "I'll see you in a week, to give you the heads up on the battle grounds. Make sure that she registers as a combatent. Ketsu, Zu, let's go."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~????? ~*~  
  
  
  
"Hheheheh. It seems that he has not lost his edge. The battle nears commencement. Prepare our entry. The time of my descent to earth nears." Velius nods as does a figure in a jacket with a fedora. "Genya, you are not to attack anyone until I give the order, is that clear?"   
  
The fedora clad shadow bows. "Yes your highness." he says in a slippery voice.   
  
"How goes the third of my generals?"   
  
Velius steps forward, his cloak rippling around him. "He is nearly ready. I have left him on earth. He will awaken when the last seal on him is removed."   
  
"Good. Chaos exists to create. To destroy that which is formless, power to destroy that which is existence is needed."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Let me hear the cheers people! Or tomatoes, if you're mad at me for taking so long. This is a whopper, huh? I had no idea it would be this long. Anyway, after the next chapter, I'm finally bringing in the bad guys. Sorry it took so long, but trust me, I'm fairly sure they were worth it. Was anyone expecting Kayin to do that at the end? Stay tuned for the next chapter of Ranma: Legends: The tournament for Ranma's heart. Seriously, it will be that one this time. I just needed to write a set up and some past stuff. Mads props of course to my brilliant editor Ketsurui, who really helped out a lot on this chapter, Omega X, and Reiko. Read, review, flame, and say your piece. 


	5. Legend 5: The Tournament for Ranma

Chapter 5: The Tournament for Ranma's heart.

2 Weeks and 2 days after the beach disaster, inside the arena's locker room area

Ranma sips on a soda. (Well, it looks like we haven't gotten much of a battle thus far. Who knew we would skip the qualifying round?) says Vel. Ranma sits up and walks to the booth for fighters who wish to see the matches. (The first matches were a joke, but at least Kuno, Akane and that creepy girl Kodachi are out.) thinks Ranma.

Flashback, 2 days prior to present time

Kazuro sits next to Nabiki in the announcers box next to the press box. "I hope you are as good as the boss says" he says while turning toward the ring. "Because it's rare for him to recruit someone directly, and he expects to be impressed."

Nabiki gives her ice queen smile. "Your boss asked me to help keep the local bookies under control, and help with the odds and gambling. He'll get what he paid for. I do have one question, why did he ask me to be an announcer for this?"

Kazuro shrugs. "No idea, but he said he wouldn't be back for the tournament till the end." He looks out the window. "Opening ceremonies are about to begin, get your headset on." He adjusts his mike. Happosai walks to the center of the ring, flanked by Cologne and a person dressed in a black referee costume with a black veil over their face, and holding a small solid red flag and a solid white flag. (A/n: think the referee from Samurai Showdown, with the flags.)

Happi takes a mic out. "Good day men, and pretty ladies. I am the renowned, famous and virtuous martial artist, Happosai. The crowd loudly boos and throws things at him. "Ingrates" he mutters, "I am one of 3 judges for the kamikaze budoukai, the others being the esteemed elder Cologne of the Chinese Amazons, and our special mystery ring side referee." Cologne and the ref bow. "To protect the referee, his identity will not be revealed until the conclusion of the tournament. You all know the rules, no attacking the audience, no attacking the ref, ring out is a loss, no outside help. I declare the Kamikaze budoukai, open!" The crowd roars it's appreciation.

5 minutes later

Kuno moves to step into the ring, his hands in the sleeves of his hakama. Akane enters the ring from the opposite side. "Tatewaki Kuno, or as I call him 'Kuno baby', is the stronger fighter, but I'm going to say this match is going to my little sister Akane." Nabiki says. Kazuro shakes his head.

"From the fighter report that I have here, it says that Kuno was holding back during their last few fights and a true match has never been had. I think that Kuno may have a better chance at this."

"Nope, Kuno baby won't use his full strength on Akane. Besides, he may not be aware of the ring out rule." Nabiki waggled her finger as she spoke.

"The match is about to start." Kuno and Akane bow to each other. The ref steps between them. He holds up a sign:

"Alright, you both know the rules, so I want a fair and honourable match. Any questions?" Kuno nods.

"Just one. Might I ask the fair tigress to date with me if she wins, or if I defeat her?" The ref turns to Akane.

"Do you accept his wager and terms?" the sign says. Akane gets an angry look on her face.

"No! I do not! Kuno, if I win, you stop the morning fights!"

Kuno ponders this. "Agreed! The Blue Thunder never loses!" The ref holds up another sign.

"When the gong sounds, you may begin. Both fighters freeze in the event of a whistle blown." They move a few paces apart. The crowd tenses up. Clang! The gong sounds, and they rush each other.

"I will date with thee, fierce tigress!"

"Shove it, Kuno sempai!" She knees him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. Kuno falls over. He unsteadily rises to his feet.

"I fight on!" He slashs at Akane, creating an air pressure blast. Akane's eyes widen. She dodges to the side, but her left leg is nicked on her tendon by the edge of the blast.

(No no no! I can't lose to him! I'm the best in Nerima! There's no way Kuno sempai can be better than me!) He rushes her with his sword in a thrust postion.

"I have thee, Akane Tendo!" Akane sees him coming at her, and rolls out of the way, sticking her foot out in his path. Kuno fails to realize that he has missed his target, and trips on her foot. His forward momentum carries him to the edge of the ring, luckily, he stops just before he falls out. Kuno feels a tap on his shoulders. He turns and sees Akane smiling widely at him. "Ah my fighting goddess, your smile is as radiant as the morning sun."

"Kuno Sempai, I decided to give you a gift, close your eyes and pucker your lips." Kuno does so with an idiotic grin on his face.

(There are times when I really hate this girl, and yet once in awhile she shows some real talent.) thinks Ranma.

"Kiss this Kuno!" yells Akane as she pulls out a giant mallet and whacks Kuno into the concrete wall. The ref walks over to Kuno. He checks his pulse. He walks back to Akane and raises one of her arms up. The crowd cheers. The loud roar of the crowd seems to revive Kuno, who dizzily returns to his feet.

"I fight on" The ref holds up a sign:

"The match is over. You have lost by ring out." Kuno gets an angry look on his face.

"Nonsense! The Blue Thunder never loses! You have been bewitched by the fair Akane Tendo's beauty or are controlled by the foul sorcerer Saotome!" The ref develops a twitch and pulls out another sign:

"The match is OVER. Leave now or be removed by force." Kuno pulls out a bokken. He prepares to launch into his usual spiel, when a loud and annoying laugh is heard.

"Oho ho ho ho ho! Brother dear, the battle is over. Why waste your time on such a common peasent?" Kodachi calls out.

"Look who's talking! I kicked your ass during that rhythmic gymnastics fight!" Akane yells back. Kodachi turns up her nose.

"I do not recall such a defeat. In any case, I will take the opportunity to attack you now and remove an obstacle to my Ranma darling." Ranma facefaults.

"Ranma darling?"

Kodachi turns to him and smiles sweetly. "Yes, my manly hero. When you saved me from that monster, I fell in love with you. Oh Ranma dearest, I will defeat this commoner so you may take me by your side!" Ranma gags.

"We don't think so!" A beam strikes the arena, and the senshi emerge from the smoke. "Fighting for profit and hurting people for the sport of it is wrong! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Ranma looks down, and a hint of anger can be seen in his face. He looks up, and walks away.

(Screw this, it's not worth dealing with these girls.) Kodachi flails her ribbon at the senshi.

"Low born vermin should bow to nobility!" The senshi dodge, however, there is a breeze, and it seems that Minako did not escape unscathed. She feels her head, and discovers that the wind drag on it is considerably lesser.

"My hair... she sliced my hair... The bitch is dead!" She pulls out a glowing yellow chain. "My hair is for making me look good and nailing cute boys! For daring to harm it, I, Sailor Venus will punish you! Venus Love me chain!" She throws the chain at Kodachi. Said psycho bitch, raises an eyebrow, and counters with her ribbon. The two whips tangle with the other. "Hey, give me back my chains!"

"Foul harpie, unhand my ribbon!" They each tug on part of the ribbon and chain. The battle quickly degenerates into a cat fight. The ref walks up to the other senshi.

"Are any of you competing in this tournament?" says his sign. They shake their heads. "No, but we are." says Haruka followed by Setsuna, and Michiru. The ref points to a tunnel marked competitor's lockers. "Please wait there, you will be directed to seats later." They nod and walk off. He throws a flag into the ring near the cat fight. They take no notice. He pulls out a whistle. The piercing sound forces them to stop as they cover their ears.

"Last warning, all non combatents leave the ring. Failure to leave will result in disqualification, and ejection from the stadium." Kuno scoffs upon finishing reading it.

"Absurd, the blue thunder cannot be ejected from this tournament!"

"O ho ho ho ho! Brother dear, you have broken the rules, I on the other hand am merely eliminating riff raff from this noble ring." The ref walks up and whaps a flag on the side of her head.

"You are disqualified for attacking the audience and using illegal gas bombs." Kodachi blinks, and pulls out a club.

"You dare to attack my graceful personage? Die peasent!" The ref dodges, and pulls out a remote from his jacket. He depresses a large red button. Ryouga blinks.

"What did he do?" Zu looks at the remote.

"Dude, run for the hills. That button is to call in the emergency ring bouncer."

"Who?" Zu sighs. "The enemy of women's undergarments, my trainer, the perverted master Happosai."

"Pretty ladies! Happosai is here to save your panties and bras!" The gnome man leaps into the bosum of Sailor Mars.

"What the hell is this thing! Mercury, is it a youma?" Ami pulls out the mercury computer.

"I'm reading high ki levels, but no dark energy." Sailor moon fidgets.

(It may not be youma, but it gives me the creeps.) Happosai squeezes Rei's breasts.

"Ahhh! Die pervert! Mars burning mandala!" A ring of fire appears around her and closes in around Happosai, who leaps out of the way, landing on the chest of Minako.

"Get it off! Get It off!" she yells screaming while running around hysterically.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" yells Makoto.

"Ahhhh! Why did you shoot me!"

"I was aiming for the little pervert!" Happosai jumps off Minako, and grabs Ami's butt.

"Ahhh! Mercury Shabon Spray!" Happosai leaps up and pulls out some firecrackers.

"Happo Dai Karin!"

10 minutes later

Kazuro has taken on the appearence of a staue, with several crack along his surface. "What... What... What happened!"

Nabiki whistles. "Hard to believe that we walk away for about 3 or 4 minutes and the ring is destroyed. She flicks Kazuro on the side of his head. "So, now what? We obviously have to cancel the remaining fights till the ring is fixed. Unfortunately, we may also need to give out refunds..." Kazuro looks at her with a horrified expression.

"Absolutely not! We'll give out a coupon for those who purchased today's tickets. But, what do I about the senshi... Of course!" He pulls several envelopes. "Sir Kayin told me to open this in case of certain situations." He pulls out a envelope marked: In case of ring destruction. He skims it over. He then pulls out a cell phone. "Have someone inform the Inner Senshi they are disqualified. Kodachi is out, Kuno is out. Hmmm, yeah, Akane too. Happosai? Forget it, I have orders not to interfere with him, his being brought in is the sole discretion of the referee." He folds up his phone. "Miss Tendo, I have been told that you are very good at getting discounts in this part of town." Nabiki smiles.

"Call me Nabiki. When do you need the ring fixed?"

"Sir Kayin said as soon as possible for complete repairs and reinforcement. You have our cash at your disposal. Try to make it as cheap as possible, while not sacrificing quality. You may also site Sir Kayin as your employer."

Present time,

(Well, At least we weren't involved in that mess.) Ranma sighs

(I have one of those bad stomach feelings about this tournament.)

(You think that something is wrong or something bad will happen?) Ranma nods.

"Ranma Saotome, and Sailor Pluto, please head to the arena." Ranma does a kick up from his seat. He walks down the long corridor to the arena.

Meanwhile on the other side of the ring, Sailor Pluto sighs with a melancholy look. (He's not Vel, but why do I feel this way about him?) She shakes her head repeatedly. (No. I promised myself that I wouldn't love another. But why did Kayin say he's a lot like Vel? Then again, if anyone would know, it would be him. Vel was his brother.) She stops and her eyes widen. (Oh no... He must have known about us! And I made him my enemy...) She steels her expression. (Nothing I can do now. Crystal Tokyo will come forth. I won't let anyone else suffer like I did.) She grips her key staff tightly. Ranma steps into the ring. The ref raises a sign.

"All fighters ready? On the sound of the gong, begin." He steps aside. Clang! Setsuna takes a stance. Ranma nods and takes his own stance.

"Who are you?" Setsuna blinks.

"Sailor Pluto." He walks over to her and whispers in her ear.

"I know you, Setsuna, but it's not from the beach where we met."

She starts. "How? How did you know who I am?" Ranma looks into her eyes with determination.

"I, or at least Velkaris, knew you."

"Velkaris!" she whispers in a shocked voice.

"You really are Vel's reincarnation..."

"You did know him then." She nods.

"A long time ago. I know you are powerful, and if you have his power, then I can't possibly win this."

"Can you tell me a few things?"

"Alright" He sighs. "Who was Velkaris, who is this Kayin guy, what's the phantom fist, and why are you wearing such a short skirt?" Setsuna shakes her head.

"I can't answer the first three questions, Kayin could tell you. He promised you answers, did he not?" She blinks.

"Short skirt... were you peeking?" Ranma blushes, and holds his hand behind his head.

"Well, your skirt is so short, that I'd be surprised if I was the only one who saw anything." Her hand starts shaking.

"Pervert! Dead scream!" She fires a blast at Ranma who jumps over it and starts dodging.

"Can't you take a joke!" He leans back to dodge a shot.

"Dead scream!"

"Oufff!" He gets knocked to the edge of the ring. "For a girl, you hit hard, ouch." He grips his head. "Ughhh..." Setsuna raises an eyebrow.

"I know that I didn't hurt you that much." He looks down for a moment, then looks up. For one moment, there is a look of cold fury, that quickly disappears.

"Hoten." He turns his back on her and takes a stance. An ethereal version dashes from his back and hits her. Three more trail him like shadows in rapid succession, all punching the same spot on her chest. The phantom kicks at her head, then her legs. Suddenly the ghost solidifies and he knocks her out of the ring with an elbow hit. He breathes out slowly. He steps out and helps her to her feet.

"Are you ok?" She groans and starts stretching. Ranma looks away.

(Setsuna...Sailor Pluto...Moon Kingd...) Ranma blinks.

(What was that?)

(A memory, or at least a fragment of one.) Haruka blinks in shock.

"That bastard..." She draws her sword. She moves to charge up her attack. She stops midway. (I felt a fiercesome malice just now, someone was looking at me with killing intent.) She shivers. (If there is someone like that at the tournament, then I may need the rest of the senshi as back up.) She sheathes her blade and walks out.

"The next fight will be starting in 5 minutes, will Ketsurui Ichigami, and Sailor Neptune come to the arena immediately. Neptune strides calmy to the ring.

(This shouldn't be too hard. Setsuna was careless, and this girl can't be as powerful as that Ranma guy.) The speakers begin playing ACDC's "Big balls". Ketsurui cocks an eyebrow at Michiru.

"So, Sailor Neptune, your power is water?" Michiru nods.

"So, if I hit you with water would it hurt?" Michiru puts a hand on her chin.

(Would my own element hurt me? I don't think it would hurt, but I'm not sure.) Ketsurui shakes her head.

(Kayin was right, they are surprisingly easy to distract.) "Geyser Strike!" A geyser slams into Michiru. Michiru gets up and rolls out of the way as a water scythe blade impacts her previous position. She pulls out her mirror.

"Deep Submerge!" A torrent of water blasts towards Ketsurui. Ketsurui narrows her eyes. She spins her scythe above her head.

"Yahhhh!" She strikes in a downward slash at the water blast. No effect appears to take place, then the the blast is frozen and stuck. Ketsurui grimaces and falls to one knee panting. Michiru stands in shock. Then she blinks and charges at Ketsurui. Ketsurui unsteadily gets to her feet.

_"He's got big balls."_

Michiru kicks at her. Ketsurui takes a guard stance and glows. The kick is stopped a few inches from her. Michiru blinks, and suddenly seemingly takes a blow to her midsection knocking her down. She struggles to get to her feet, only to find Ketsurui's scythe on her back.

_"She's got big balls."_

"My mirror stance reflects physical attacks. You lost, Sailor Neptune." Ketsurui says with a smirk. Michiru tries to slide kick her. Ketsurui jumps and slashes horizontally with her scythe. "Hydro Canon!" A concentrated stream of water slams into Michiru, knocking her out of the ring.

_"But we've got the biggest, balls of them all!"_

Ketsurui strikes a pose and winks cutely at the audience while tossing her scythe in the air. She catches her scythe and bows. The crowd erupts in cheers. She blows kisses to the crowd and walks out. She clutches her chest and falls to her knees as soon as she is in her own room.

"Ahhh...not again..." There is a knock on the door. She grimaces and gets up and opens it. Kazuro is standing there. He raises an eyebrow.

"Are you alright miss Ichigami?" Ketsurui waves him off.

"I'll be ok, side effect of a technique. What do you want?" Kazuro reaches into his suit and pulls out a letter.

"Sir Kayin instructed me to give you this letter after your fight with Sailor Neptune." She rips the letter open and unfolds the paper.

"Huh? Why? Kazuro, did you read this?" He shakes his head. She shows him the letter.

"Dear Ketsu,

I'm glad that you held your own against the senshi. Regardless of how you feel, you are to withdraw from the tournament. This is a favor to me. All will be explained upon the conclusion of the tournament. Trust me on this. I swear in the name of the shadow, the chaos and the infinite.

All for Malduke's glory,

Kayin."

Ketsurui rereads the letter.

"Who is Malduke?"

"I don't know for certain, but I think he has some connection to Kayin's family and past."

The 3rd day of the tournament

Shampoo walks pridefully to the ring. "Shampoo not see crazy red-head since 2 weeks pass. Shampoo kill obstacle and keep looking" she grumbles to herself. Haruka, in her senshi of Uranus fuku, walks with her sword on her hip.

(Just a backwoods hick from China, shouldn't be a problem for a soldier of love and justice.)

"Entering the ring from the left, from the Joketsuzoku amazon tribe of China, Shampoo!"

"Entering from the left, representing the Outer Sailor Senshi and planet Uranus, Sailor Uranus!" Nabiki kills her mike.

"What do we know about the remaining competitors?" Kazuro thumbs through a folder.

"She's the last of the senshi actively in the tournament. The inners didn't contest the disqualification during the first day. They seem to have been busy with something." He pulls out another folder.

"Ketsurui withdrew, so she's not a consideration. There are only two opponents besides Ranma that we know nothing about. Ranma will probably have to fight both of them." He shows her a picture of a young man with curly hair and a scale vest. "This guy is pretty good, his style is a mix of street fighting and chinese wu shu. He seems to have an edge that nobody knows about. The weird thing is his name, which he asked us not to announce." Nabiki looks and starts laughing.

"Hahahahhaah! You're kidding me! That's his name? Hhahahaha!" Nabiki wipes her eyes and sits up with a serious expression. "All joking aside, who is your boss?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that a lot of the bookies and yakuza here are people I wouldn't deal with, and they seem eager to help, some of them afraid of him. I judged that when I told one of them that he wasn't here and he breathed a deep sigh of relief." Kazuro wipes his glasses off.

"Sir Kayin has a prominent reputation in the underworld. He may not use the nickname "Electric Nightmare" there, but he is greatly feared. Happosai as well." Nabiki blinks.

"Happosai? Granted, Gramps is tough, but I don't see why yakuza would be scared of him. He's just a harmless pervert." Kazuro looks her in the eye.

"Happosai is almost as feared as Sir Kayin. I happen to know that they are old friends and the fear of them has to do with some kind of job they used to do for the government."

Back at the ring:

Haruka draws her sword and holds it in a European fencing stance. "World Shaking!" A ground wave travels toward Shampoo in the shape of Uranus. Shampoo jumps over it and attempts an overhead strike with her bonbori. Haruka blanches and pulls up her sword in a cross guard. Shampoo falls on her ass and sweep kicks Haruka, and roll backwards. Haruka kicks up and charges at Shampoo. Shampoo glares and charges with a battle cry. Haruka raises her sword over her head.

"Space Sword Blaster!" She jumps up, slamming her sword into the ground, unleashing a power blast. Shampoo is unable to stop her acceleration, and is caught in the explosion. Shampoo struggles to land one last blow. Her eyes go back into her head and she falls down unconscious.

Uranus snorts. "Pathetic. No one can defeat the sailor senshi." The ref checks Shampoo's pulse. He gets up and walks to Haruka. He raises her hand.

"And the referee has declared Sailor Uranus the winner!" Nabiki's voice is heard proclaiming. Haruka's eyes widen.

"You're a youma! In the name of Uranus, I will destroy you!" She strikes with an overhead blow. The ref turns, and catches the blade between his hands. Haruka's jaw drops. The ref jumps kicks her, disarming her at the same time. He points a red flag at her.

"Attacking the referee, is cause for disqualification. On a personal note, you are too arrogant." says his sign. He walks off. Haruka grits her teeth, but leaves quietly.

? (BGM: Magic Emperor Ghaleon's theme, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Sega CD)

Velius chuckles at the sight of Haruka's defeat. "Heh heh heh, once again, the idiot senshi show their stupidity and incompetence." He turns to the tall figure on the throne behind him.

"Master?" The figure faces Velius, and glowing red slits appear.

"This pre-show entertainment bores me. I'm much more interested in the next fight. Observe!" He gestures, and an image of a curly haired teenager in a scale mail sleeveless shirt appears. "This 'Pantsuto Taro', (A/n: Pantyhose Taro) should prove a greater challenge. Let us see if my old enemy can reveal his true power this time. He chuckles slowly, eventually laughing maniacally. "Heh heh heh heh..., Hahahahahaahahhaha!"

Kamikaze Budoukai, 1 hour and 30 minutes later,

Ranma walks casually to the arena. (Amazing, most of the competitors are already out. You'd think it was planned for only a few to make this far...) Ranma shrugs. (Don't care, as long as we get some fights in. This guy looks like a easy win.) Ranma's opponent is looking down into an orb.

"Remember, do not hold back. If you do not force him to use his greater powers, I will remove my gift from you. Use your 'other' ability if necessary."

"K. Your call, boss." He pockets the crystal. (Heh, this should be easy. This guy looks like a wimp.) He cracks his knuckles.

Happosai smokes his pipe. "Cologne-chan, are you seeing this?" She smacks his head with her cane.

"Don't call me Cologne-chan, Happi. We broke up centuries ago." Happosai smiles stupidly.

"Too bad, as I recall, you were great in bed." She bashes him again.

"Anyway, look at that boy who's fighting Ranma. He seems odd." Cologne narrows her eyes. "I see potential, but also something hidden, part of it looks like son in law, but something else is there too." Happosai nods.

"That boy might not be able to beat Ranma, but he may just give him a good fight, though there is something wrong with his power. It's like something else is boosting his power." Ranma grins cockily.

"So, what's your name man?" The curly haired guy smirks.

"I'll tell you if you beat me." He takes up a stance and raises a battle aura. Ranma smirks and raises his own distorted aura. He kicks toward the guy's chest. The scale clad boy grabs Ranma's leg.

"Come on, wimp. I know you got more." Ranma jumps off the ground and kicks the boy in the head.

"And Ranma lands a stunning kick on Pantsuto Taro!" Nabiki's voice is heard over the speakers.

"You're kidding me... That's your name? Hhahahahaha!" Ranma starts rolling on the ground laughing. Taro looks at him with a look of pure rage.

"Don't call me that name!" He slams his fist down where Ranma's head is. Ranma rolls out of the way. Taro grabs him and slams him into the ground. "I fucking hate that name! I'll kill anyone who calls me that!" Ranma kicks Taro in the stomach and flips backwards to land on his feet. A distorted aura flares up around him. He head butts Taro, ethereal images trailing him. He then uppercuts him, followed by jumping above him and slamming him down, followed by another uppercut. He finishes with a double open palm hit. Taro is knocked to the edge of the ring. Ranma breathes out.

"Ryujin." he starts to walk out. Taro gets up grimacing.

"Nobody gets that many hits on me without making me mad." He pulls out a canteen. He splashes himself. A startling tranformation happens. In Taro's place is a giant winged minotaur with octopus tentacles. "Bufufu" the minotaur growls. He pulls out a sign. Hahaha, prepare to get stompe... What the hell?" The minotaur blinks. Ranma looks down.

"God damn it, why the hell did you splash me with your stupid canteen!" The minotaur blinks again. He scribbles something on a sign with a marker.

"Hahahahaha! What ya gonna do now fem-boy? Bitch me to death?" Ranma's face takes on a familiar look of cold rage. She rushes the monster. She uppercuts him while spinning upward, landing a second uppercut after landing. The minotaur staggers back. It snorts angrily and slams it's fist into the ground creating a shockwave. Ranma jumps over the wave and tries to throw the beast. The minotaur doesn't budge and kicks her with it's hoof. Ranma goes flying almost to the edge. She groans, and her eyes widen as she rolls out of the way of Taro's flying stomp. Her breathing is labored as she struggles to gasp for air.

Taro goes into a flying charge. Ranma's eyes narrow, and she roars, but the roar is that of a lion. Taro's charge is stopped. She rushes him, kicking him into the air, then jumping and kicking him down. She jumps above him and fires a dark blast down at him. Her aura shrinks and she falls to her knees. The ref walks out and splashes Taro with a glass of hot water. He checks his pulse, and then walks over and declares Ranma the winner by raising her hand. Ranma smiles weakly. Her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses. Kazuro looks at the condition of the ring and starts bashing his head into the desk. Nabiki blinks.

"And the winner by knockout, Ranma Saotome, also knocked out."

"Not again... We're going to have a net loss if this keeps up..." Kazuro moans.

"Hahahahahaha! He is close, I can feel him awakening. Velius!" Velius turns.

"Yes, my lord?" "Prepare a small squadron, and inform Genya to follow. We leave upon the conclusion of the last battle. I go to witness it from the moon." Velius bows.

"Thy will be done." The figure stands up, a reddish tint appearing in the light. The room goes dark, and the unknown figure is nowhere to be seen as the darkness and red tint fades.

Kamikaze Budoukai, the next day,

Ranma rubs his ribcage. "God damnit, that guy hit me hard." Zu walks up behind him and slaps him on the shoulder, eliciting a wince.

"Oops, sorry man, didn't know you got hit there. Just came to tell you that the spatula chick Klang! is here to see you... Hey, why did you hit me?"

"Cause you're insulting my family art, jackass! Hey Ran-chan."

"Hey Ucchan. Did ya see my fights?" Ukyo nods slowly.

"Yeah, Ran-chan? Are you ok?" Ranma puts his hand behind his head.

"Why, is something up?"

"You used that weird power in your first fight, but in your second..." Ranma blinks.

"Come to think of it, I don't exactly remember how I won that fight. How did I take out that bull guy?" They look downcast. Ryouga walks up.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"The last fight, Ranma doesn't remember it..." Ryouga looks down.

"Ranma, you went berserk. Everybody heard a lion roar and you took down Taro easily with a weird ki blast. It didn't feel like ki though... More like something different.." Ranma blinks.

"Oh, you mean the chaos power I use." Zu's head jerks up.

"Chaos power? What you mean man?" Ranma shrugs.

"I can use the elemental power of chaos as energy and a weapon, kinda like you use earth, that girl Ketsurui uses water, Ryouga uses fire, and I think kayin is wind." Zu chuckles.

"Nice, Kayin was right about you. You aren't as dumb as you look." Rama smiles.

"Thanks Zu, you're right, I'm not as dumb as I..., What! Say that to my face baldy!" Zu laughs.

"Wuahahahahhaha! Give up dude, you have to hit me really hard to get me to shut up, and only Kayin has been able to hit me that hard so far." Ryouga knees him in the stomach. A cough is heard. "Ok... That was a good hit..." He falls down.

"So, who hits hard now rock head?" Zu gets up and shakes his head.

"Not bad, wasn't expecting you to hit harder than Kayin." He slams his elbow down on Ryouga's head. Ryouga wheezes and falls down. Zu blinks and slaps himself in the head. "Aw crap, he's your next opponent. Sorry Ranma." Ryouga gets up.

"Ok, that was fair enough. Anyway, the repairs aren't done yet." Kazuro walks up with a sigh. "I just got a letter from Sir Kayin. Please read it." He skims through it.

"Dear Ranma,

I knew that you would not disappoint me. I figured that your fellow knight Ryouga would be your opponent. As you may have guessed, there is a connection between you, Zu, Ketsurui, Ryouga and myself. We are the five members of a group called the Elemental Knights of Chaos.

Our power is ancient and draws upon five natural sources of strength. They are, fire, earth, water, wind, and pure chaos. By now you should have guessed everyone but me. I'm the wind knight, and your element gives you control over almost all aspects of it. For example, Ketsurui can control ice, water, I can use electricity and wind, etc.

I will tell you of Velkaris if you win or draw the final match. The rules have been changed for the final, you can only win by submission or knockout. The ringout rule and ref rules are out. The ref will not be present during this fight. Also, the audience will be out of the way, so do not hold back. Fight hard and do not surrender.

All for Malduke's glory,

Kayin."

Ryouga glances at it. "Finally, I was getting sick of having to hold back against losers. I'll see you at the ring later Ranma. This duel is getting ended, one way or the other." Ranma laughs.

"Hahahaha. Prepare to get your ass handed to you hot head." He high fives Ryouga.

"You're the one who's gonna get burned, bandana boy. Don't you ever change clothes?" Ryouga opens his pack.

"Yeah, not my fault you can't tell." Ranma looks in.

"You have 5 or 6 copies of the same outfit?" Ketsurui looks at the clothes.

"A brain dead monkey could pick better fashion out." She puts a finger on her chin.

"I know. I'll go tell those two girls that you need a fashion trip after this tournament." Ryouga blanches.

"Are you nuts! I don't need them to have a reason to hunt me down!" Ranma yawns.

"We got a couple of hours till the fight tonight, so I'm gonna get some sleep." Ranma sits in a rotating chair, leans back, puts his feet up, and starts snoozing. "Zzzzzzzzz..." Zu thrusts out a lower lip.

"Truly a master of slacking off." Happosai nods approvingly.

"The boy has potential in the art of martial arts slacking. Then again, his father is one of the founders. Of course, he never did enough Anything-Goes practice to stop slacking." Happi puffs on his pipe.

"Soun was better, but utterly useless after his wife died. Genma was better in the art, but I always thought Soun was more level-headed." He sighs. "I had high hopes for them. And what do they do? The idiots split my genius school into a piece of crap, and one half assed version. Now Ranma, he's the real thing." Ryouga looks at him.

"Huh?" Happi hits Ryouga with his pipe. "The Tendo school is nothing without the rest of the style. The Saotome style is good, but lacks the power that the tendo school commands. Ranma has somehow combined them with a third style." Happosai cackles. "The boy is a prodigy. I'm making him my heir if he wins." Ketsurui narrows her eyes at him.

"I doubt he's going to want to steal underwear, and I know he's not dumb to go after mine cause I'll scar him like I scarred you." Happosai shivers.

"Of course not..." He says while sweatdropping. "The panty raids are my own personal vice and not a part of the anything goes school. I only made Genma and Soun do them for the training and because they were both idiots. No offense Soun." Soun sighs and hangs his head.

"I've been a failure to my daughters and my wife." Khu Lon bounds in on her staff.

"Happi, we need to talk." The midget master snuffs his pipe and bounds after her.

"What do you want Khu Lon-chan?" Khu Lon narrows her eyes at Happosai. "Who is your friend? I contacted the elders about him and his nearly killing my grand- Daughter. I need to know if he was serious. Would he have killed her?" Happosai nods grimly.

"With a smile and a flash of his blade. Kayin is my good friend, but he is extremely blood-thirsty. Most swordsmen who have a bloodlust like his are a danger to themselves and others. He kills only those whom he deems guilty and worthy of death. He would have made sure you could not control him." Khu Lon snorts.

"I didn't want him to hurt my grand-Daughter, but I think he is overly arrogant. He claimed he could kill all the amazon tribes and we wouldn't be able to stop him." Happosai looks her in the eye.

"Kayin does not exaggerate his power. Zu, Ryouga, Ketsurui, Ranma, those 4 alone would challenge the matriarchs and make a vicious battle. Kayin is a genius at strategy and he has vast experience on the battlefield and in fighting bad odds. Even I can't beat him with a sword. His only weakness is he runs out of energy fast if he uses his special techniques, but he said that is due to a curse he has which is going to expire soon." Happosai looks at a clock. "I'm heading back to the judges booth, come back before the last match. And don't pick a fight with him. He may have low ki levels, but he can get a lot out of very little."

Earth's moon, Moon Kingdom, Palace of Selene,

The masked figure sits down on a throne and looks into a large orb showing the arena. He chuckles. "Hheheheh, Serenity, 5,000 years have passed and now I sit upon the silver throne. What would you say now, knowing that your Sailor Senshi and the knights failed to stop me and that no one has the power to do so?" He gestures to the orb. "Now, my old enemy, show me the true power of chaos! Bring forth the age of nightmares again, so that our war may finally be ended!"

A vast aura appears behind him in the shape of a bladed winged figure with glowing eyes. His maniacal laughter fills the silent halls of the palace. "Hahahahahaahahahahah!"

Kamikaze Budoukai, 2 hours after last time,

The ref is standing in the middle of the ring. "Well sports fans, all good things must come to an end, so without further ado, I present our finalists for the championship of the Kamikaze Budoukai."

Ryouga walks into the light, dressed in a yellow muscle shirt, his regular black pants tied at the ankles and his trademark bandana. He smiles and a fang is revealed.

"In this corner, he's blazed through most of the competitors here with relative ease. His fists of flame only equaled by his burning kicks, Ryouga Hibiki!" Ryouga smiles and waves to the crowd.

"My kind of fight." he says to himself. The spotlight lites up the other side, revealing Ranma wearing a black muscle shirt, chinese pants and slippers. He looks down, smirks, and looks at Ryouga.

"He's managed to defeat Sailor Pluto of the senshi, the monstrous Pantyhose Taro, but can he defeat his best childhood friend? Entering on the left side, Ranma Saotome!" Ranma walks towards the ring. The ref holds up a sign.

"You both are aware of the new rules?" They nod. "Good, try and avoid the audience. They have moved back a few rows, but they could still be harmed by reckless attacks." He raises a flag. They tense up. The ref lowers the flag.

"Prepare to die Ranma Saotome!"

"I'm gonna beat your head through the ground!" They each throw a haymaker punch.

"Ouff..."

"Ouch..." Ranma kicks out Ryouga's legs, only to have Ryouga punch him in the stomach. Ryouga rolls back, and jumps toward Ranma's head. Ranma flips back as Ryouga's fist impacts the ground. Ranma ax kicks Ryouga, who blocks with his forearms.

"Come on, you pig tailed loser, show me what ya got!" Ryouga springs at Ranma tackling him down. He lands several punches on Ranma's face. Ranma knees him in the back, and kicks up.

"Damn, you got tougher." he says while holding his side. Ryouga spits some blood on the ground.

"You too. I'm loving this. Damn your old man for not letting us finish this earlier." He does a flying kick at Ranma knocking him down. Ranma uppercuts Ryouga and headbutts him. Ketsurui blinks from the sidelines.

"This isn't a fight, it's a massacre." Zu laughs.

"Those two must be the best of friends. I haven't seen a fight this good since the Manchu dynasty fell. Worst thing about that, was that most of the best martial artists in china vanished into the mountains and forests." He shakes his head. "Ignore an old guy remisniscing and watch the fight. The real fight is starting now." Ranma stands up with a cocky smirk.

"Finally a real challenge. Think you're warmed up enough, Ryouga?" Ryouga's aura of flames appears.

"I'm ready to burn your sorry ass Saotome." Clapping is heard from the crowd as a drumbeat comes from the speakers.

_"Ahh, buddy you're a boy, make a big noise, Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day."_

_"You got mud on yo' face. You big disgrace."_

Ryouga says. "Hibiki school technique! Meteor!" He charges up a fireball in his hand. He throws it at Ranma, who ducks quickly.

_"You big disgrace, kicking your can all over the place."_

"So, going for the heavy stuff now?" Ranma jumps into the air and throws a dark blast at Ryouga.

"Cheap asshole!" yells Ryouga as he jumps up and slams his fists in a hammer blow on Ranma's back.

"Arghh! Fucking Prick!" He uppercuts Ryouga and they both hit the ground.

_"We will, we will rock you! We will, we will rock you!"_

"Maboroshi ken, Tenbu." The phantoms appear. One rushes Ryouga and palm strikes him. Ryouga takes the hit and punches the phantom only to go through it.

"Give me a real match Ranma!" He charges Ranma and tackles him to the ground.

(Fuck it didn't work. Vel, what happened?)

(Ryouga is in a much higher class than the others. You're gonna have to fight harder and not just use the phantoms. I seem to remember that the strength is using them as weapons and in conjunction with yourself.)

_"We will, we will rock you. Sing it. We will ,we will rock you."_

Ranma flares his aura. "I'm not going down without a fight hot head." Ranma blasts the ground underneath him, and Ryouga falls off him. Ranma gets up. He smiles. "Ryouga, thanks for the battle. I'm proud to have a friend like you." Ryouga nods and gives him the thumbs up.

"You too Ranma. Now get ready to lose." Ranma laughs.

"Hahahaha. You first punk." He takes up a stance with phantoms flanking him. Ryouga snorts.

"Humph, those thing won't stop me, I smashed them last time, so you might as well..guahhh!" A phantom palm strikes him, slowly fading to reveal Ranma.

"I figured how to boost my power with these things." He kicks Ryouga into the air, then jumps up and slam him down with another kick. "The tenbu technique." Ryouga stands up and spits out some blood.

"Kick 13!" He jumps at Ranma with a flaming kick. Ranma hits him with a round house as the kick knocks him down. "Magma driver!" Ryouga launches a flaming uppercut. Ranma dodges to the side and charges power in his fist.

"Raijin!" He smashes Ranma with a energy charged fist knocking him out of the ring. Ryouga stands up groggily. Ranma breathes hard.

"God damn, don't you ever run out of ki?" Ryouga runs at Ranma with a punch. Ranma ducks and grabs Ryouga's overextended arm. He punches Ryouga several times in the chest and kicks him down. Ryouga stands up again. He rushes Ranma and lands several blows while getting hit by Ranma. The two of them fall to their knees. Ryouga pants. "I'm getting tired, let's just finish it with the next attack, ok?" Ranma breathes hard.

"Deal, I owe you some lunches after this." Ryouga chuckles.

"You have to beat me first." They both leap into the air. The audience holds it's breath. There is a burst of energy as they both blast each other. They land and face each other.

"Fuck, I lost again. I want a rematch Ranma." Ryouga falls down unconscious.

"Heh, told ya I'd win, uhhh..." He falls back with swirly eyes. The ref looks at the two of them. Ranma groans and stands up slowly. "I can stand, so don't say I lost." The ref holds up a sign.

"Ok, you win. Ranma Saotome I hearby declare you the winner of the Kamikaze Budoukai!" The crowd cheers. "And Ranma Saotome has become the winner of the tournament after a fierce battle with Ryouga, wait a minute, Ryouga is getting onto his knees." Ryouga woozily stands and almost tips forward, only to be caught by the ref and Ranma.

"Come on, I'll take ya to Zu and let him heal you." Ranma starts dragging Ryouga out.

"Most impressive Ranma, Vel was good as well. It seems I must honor my bargain." A voice says behind Ranma. Ketsurui blinks.

"I know that voice..., He's here?" The ref reaches for the black cloth mask over his face and pulls it off.

"I did say I wouldn't be here, but I meant as a competitor. After all, the host for the tournament shouldn't fight when most of the fighters are not at his level." Kayin says while smiling. Ranma narrows his eyes. "I won your tournament, so spill it. Who was Velkaris?" Kayin shakes his head. "You need to rest for a few hours, because this is a long story and you have injuries."

1 hour and a half later,

"Alright, now talk." Kayin nods.

"You won this tournament and you did partly through Vel's power and style, which is called the maboroshi ken. I also can tell you that I knew Vel back in the old days 5,000 years ago, along with the sailor senshi."

"Who the hell are you and how do you know all this!" Ranma yells while grabbing Kayin by the hem of his kimono. Kayin grabs Ranma's wrists, and shocks him with electricity.

"Arghhhhhhh!" Kayin brushes off his hakama.

"I know, because I have been around that long, because I have witnessed Velkaris Lekeldian use his full power, and because he was my younger brother."

(Brother... Kayin?) Kayin smiles.

"You are my brother's successor both in spirit and to the position of elemental knight of chaos. And by right, you can free me from my curse and take your place as a member of house Lekeldian." Ranma gapes.

"I'm a saotome, not a lahelgian." Kayin sighs.

"Lekeldian, and you can be both. By accepting the blood pact and... Arghhhh!" He falls to one knee as dark lightning darts around him. "Stay backkkk!" It stops as he breathes hard. "I bear a curse for holding this orb, it has leached away most of my life energy while making me immortal. Only you, as the rightful heir may release me from my pain." He looks up with his eye.

He cuts his right hand and proffers it upward. "Cut your hand, and grasp mine." Ranma grips the blade and grips Kayin's hand. "Now, O Soul of Chaos, reveal thy strength, release me from thy curse!"

(Thou art worthy to wield the strength of chaos. In the name of The shadow, the chaos and the infinite which is the name of Malduke, I grant thee mastery of my power.) Ranma hears in his head. The orb floats out of Kayin's hand and links a chain of power between the two of them. As the orb moves to Ranma, Kayin seems to get stronger.

"Thy life energy has been restored, as thanks for your service, but thy gift of immortality shall no longer work." Kayin chuckles.

"Finally, I'm mortal again." His aura grows and surrounds him. His face seems to age backwards, from the 30ish older man that he first appeared to be, to a younger man. The transfer stops. Kayin shakes his head and looks at his reflection in his blade. He gasps. His face is now that of a 20ish youth with more color, but still pale.

"I, I'm, I'm young again? The excess ki it returned must have knocked my aging process back to where it used to be..." He opens his palm and summons a ball of lightning. "Hehehehe, it seems that my powers have not decreased, and I can feel my reserves finally recharging themselves." He bows. "Ranma Saotome, I thank you for freeing me from this."

Ketsurui gapes at him. (Wow, Let me at him! He's gorgeous now!) A person taps her on the shoulder. "Ok, you just asked to get smashed...daddy!" She turns around and is about to throw a punch, only to see Genko smiling with Yuki by his side.

"We saw your fight Little Ketsu, and we thought you did very well." Genko and Yuki hug her.

"We also saw most of the other fights. So, who's the lucky boy who's got you flustered?" Yuki says with a impish smile. "And should we get a priest and start the wedding bells?" Ketsurui groans.

"Daddy... It's not like that." Genko blinks.

"Wait a minute, is that Kayin? Wow, what happened to him?" Ketsurui shrugs.

"No idea, but that other kid seems to be his brother, and Kayin just turned into a young guy my age." Yuki purrs.

"Dear, would you mind if I went after him if you don't? You don't see a man like that very often." Ketsurui blanches.

"Daddy!" Genko laughs.

"Hahahaha, relax little one. We can see you're interested. Yuki was just teasing. We know you've been wanting to go after him for awhile." He puts his hands on her shoulders.

"Go after him. I can tell he won't object." She nods and runs to the exit. Kayin grasps Ranma's hand.

"And now, we can work on your problems."

"Oh no, good sir, we have much better plans for Ranma here." Daggers fly out and nearly hit Ranma and Kayin.

"Who the fuck is this!" A slippery voice chuckles.

"Hehehe, my master said you two are probably the best of the new knights. Let us see how you fare at protecting others!" Several daggers shriek down toward Ketsurui who is still running to the ring. She blocks some of them and gets hit in her leg.

"Ahhhhhh!" She falls down. More daggers and a whirling blade-like object move toward her. She closes her eyes, only to have blood splash on her face. "Kayin!" Kayin has moved in front of the daggers taking some of them in the chest, and having a bladed fedora in his mask.

"Heh heh, never thought I'd be shielding anyone like this..." He spits up some blood. "Of all the times to have given up immortality..." He falls backwards into her arms.

"Nooooo!" A man with platinum blonde hair with a streak of green on the front dressed in a trench coat steps out from a shadow.

"Hheheheh, master said that you were strong, seems he misjudged you. He giggles madly.

"Enough Genya." a cold voice says. "You were ordered to get their attention, not attack them." A figure in a cloak appears. The air mists around his feet, obscuring them from view, and a visible chill is present in the air.

"Who the hell are you?" Ryouga jumps kicks the new enemy.

"Frost nova." A blast of ice stops Ryouga in his tracks. Ryouga shivers.

"Damn you... Burning dash!" He lights on fire and dashes the cloaked figure.

"Frost armor." A shield of ice appears in front of him, but Ryouga's dash burns through it. The cloak lites on fire.

"Did I get him?"

"No, you did not. Let me show you how you're supposed to kill someone." A skeletal hand reaches out and grabs Ryouga by the throat. "I am Velius, chief strategist and 2nd in command of the kal shan tai. My battle nickname, is soul reaver." he steps out of the steam, only to reveal that he is actually floating in mid-air. His lower body consists of several pieces of cloth with half orbs on the end, a metal ring connecting his spine and upper body to his lower, a transparent shield like device floating behind his back, and six horns surrounding a skull with glowing blue eyes and a beard like protrusion on his chin.

"What the hell is he?" says Ranma.

"Oh man, didn't expect one of these things to show up." Zu hops down into the ring. "That, kids, is a lich. Powerful undead sorcerer, very tough to kill, they feed on souls, and very bad tempered most of the time." A red light appears in the sky, tinting everything crimson, with a beam shining down on tokyo tower. A booming voice is heard across the city.

"Flawed creations unworthy of existence! Behold the light of god's judgement!" The beam intensifies and the tower is destroyed in a burst of energy. Ranma looks in shock.

"Oh my god..." Genya laughs.

"God? Save your breath boy. Mankind's end has begun this day. Behold!" He point at a red light like a star that seems to be approaching.

"The evil star of darkness descends today." He gets on one knee. Velius leans his head down. The light intensifies. It streaks like a comet toward the ring. It suddenly stops above the ring. As the brightness dies down, a figure appears from within the light. He is tall, garbed like a dark minister, with armor, a cloak, and a skull like mask. Setsuna screams.

"Noooo! It can't be him! The nightmare has returned!" Kayin looks up with his one eye.

"God damn it, he can't be back,... Not him..."

(I know him... I know this man...) Ranma blinks.

(You know him Vel?)

(I remember him... He is the one who killed me!) The figure whirls his cloak back. An image of him appears in the sky.

"I am Grahf, Emperor of Darkness! The end of days now comes to pass!"

A/n: Phew, this took awhile. Well, what do you think? Was the tournament worth it? Heh, you thought that was exciting, wait till next time, when Grahf demonstrates why he is so feared.

What is the connection between Grahf and Velkaris? Why is Setsuna afraid of him? Is the story over already?

Ok, that last one is not gonna happen. I got at least 3 or 4 more big chapters left to go. Stay tuned for chapter 6: Advent of Darkness. Read and review people. Once again, half credit to the genius that is my editor Ketsurui. I must however announce that Ketsurui has bowed out and will no longer be editing this fic. Credit for that now goes to Lord Aries Greymon, signed on as my new editor recently. Ketsurui's departure was the reason for the delay, as it took me awhile to find a replacement. The next chapter hopefully will be out sooner. Props to Buds and Reiko, my pre readers.


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